The Gathering Storm
by Brennus
Summary: Sequel to 'The Pain Within'. Mirrors the second season of RWBY, with a few twists and turns. Jaune continues to develop his powers with the help of Glenda Goodwitch, and his relationship with a certain tall redhead is progressing, too. However, there are hints of dark clouds on the horizon, and the words of someone close to him make Jaune start to wonder who exactly he can trust.
1. Chapter 1 - Home

**Chapter 1 – Home**

Greetings, fellow RWBY fans, and welcome to my sequel to 'The Pain Within'. Being as it is a direct follow on, I would suggest you read that story first if you haven't already, as I have made some changes to canon that probably need explaining. However, if you're one of those people who always start assembling IKEA furniture without looking at the instructions, then just carry on.

I confess, having written in the world of Harry Potter so long, I found 'The Pain Within' a little awkward to write, but this time round I felt a lot more comfortable with the settings and characters. In particular, I don't think I got Pyrrha exactly right in the last story. This time, however, she's a bit more Pyrrha-ish.

Thanks to (ex-) Mrs Brennus for support, and to Arnel for her usual wonderful beta work. Thank you, ladies.

* * *

Breathing hard, Jaune ducked down as a beam of orange light shot past him, narrowly missing his shoulder. Not wanting to present himself as more of a target, he dived into a forward roll which brought him to the dubious cover afforded by a table. Knowing this fragile shelter wouldn't protect him for long, he quickly channelled some of his Aura into his legs, and sprinted away.

It was not a moment too soon. Behind him, he heard the table being blasted into a million splinters, reinforcing the need to keep moving. His opponent was just too good for him to offer her an easy target. Not unless he wanted to get hit, anyway.

As he ran, he caught sight of a flash out of the corner of his eye, and he just managed to get his shield up in time to deflect whatever it was. The impact nearly knocked him off his feet, but he was able to recover quickly and start moving again. Desperately, he sought a way to turn his frantic defence into some form of attack. He couldn't just keep fending her off like this, not if he hoped to survive. Try as he might, though, nothing came to mind.

Another beam of light streaked past him, far too close for comfort. As Jaune sprinted towards the next piece of cover, he knew that his current tactics were just not going to work. He'd hoped to be able to manoeuvre towards his opponent so he could at least get a few hits in, but clearly that wasn't going to happen. No, he knew there was only one thing he could do now, and that was just charge towards his foe and hope that he didn't run out of Aura before he got to her. It was a massive gamble, but it was his only chance.

Lengthening his stride, Jaune cleared a desk in one jump, before dropping his shoulder and lunging to his right. He hoped that his sudden change in direction might momentarily confuse his opponent, but a solid hit on his shield suggested otherwise. The blow knocked him out of his stride, but only for a second. Gritting his teeth, he charged at his foe, who was standing resolutely in place, aiming her weapon at him. He just needed a few more seconds…

"Oof!"

Before he knew what was happening, some great force hit him with the speed and power of an oncoming train. Despite his forward momentum, Jaune found himself flying backwards and he impacted on the hard, stone floor heavily. Coloured lights swam before his eyes and he had an urge to vomit. Desperately, he tried to climb to his feet, but his legs were like jelly.

"Stop!"

Despite his condition, Jaune knew well enough not to disobey THAT voice. He let himself slump down into a heap gratefully, just glad it was over. The sound of a pair of heels clicking on the hard floor made him look up.

"Interesting tactics, Mister Arc," Goodwitch noted as she approached. "What were you hoping to achieve by just recklessly charging at me?"

Jaune gulped. "I didn't think I had much choice. I mean, I wasn't getting anywhere near you otherwise, was I? All I was doing was running around, getting myself more and more tired, while you gradually reduced my Aura. I figured the only chance I had was to channel as much Aura into my shield as I could, and hope I could get to you before it ran out."

"And how did that work out for you?"

"Umm, pretty bad," he admitted. "Still, I don't see what else I could have done."

"Mister Arc… Jaune… you were doing pretty well up to the point you decided to mount a kamikaze attack on me," Goodwitch told him. "Surely it would have been better to keep moving, finding cover where you could, and then striking back using your Semblance? You've already proven that you can use it offensively, so why didn't you?"

"I… I can't really use it that way when I'm moving," he confessed. "I've tried, but I just don't have that level of control yet."

"I see," Goodwitch acknowledged. "Well, I guess I don't need to tell you what you need to practice during the break. I trust that when you return for the second semester you will have mastered at least some rudimentary control of your Semblance while on the move."

"Yes, ma'am," he agreed doubtfully.

"It's all a matter of concentration and control," she said, not unkindly. "Are you still undertaking those meditation exercises with your teammate?"

"Oh, yes," he confirmed. "Ren makes the whole team meditate each morning before breakfast. He says that it will put us all in a positive frame of mind for the coming day. Personally, I think we should do it after breakfast. It's hard to clear your mind when all you can think about is waffles."

Goodwitch sighed.

"You're like every other young man I've ever met," she said disapprovingly, "either thinking about food or sex. There are other things in life, you know."

"Who mentioned sex?" he gasped, feeling his face redden. "I never mention that! I never said anything about that!"

"Really? So I don't suppose that you've noticed that you're surrounded by attractive young Huntresses, then? You've never noticed how radiantly beautiful Miss Weiss is, or Miss Nikos's athletic physique?"

"I… err…. that is… why are we even talking about this?" Jaune spluttered.

Goodwitch actually laughed. "You clearly don't take after your father, do you? When he attended Beacon he chased everything in a skirt, no matter whether they were interested in him or not. You, at least, seem to have your priorities right, Mister Arc. Then again, your father never showed the level of talent and power that you demonstrate, either."

"What?" Jaune gasped. "Dad's an amazing Hunter. I'm nowhere near his level."

"Your father was absolutely hopeless during his first year," Goodwitch revealed. "It was only in his second year that he began to display any ability whatsoever. I seriously thought he was going to get kicked out at one point. I assume the threat of expulsion was what convinced him to stop messing around with his friends all the time and knuckle down."

"Wow," Jaune gasped, before a wide grin crept onto his face. "Oh, I am so looking forward to seeing my old man again!"

"Just remember, you didn't hear that from me," Goodwitch told him, her eyes glittering with amusement. "Are you planning on heading home for the term break, then?"

"I'm not sure," he admitted. "I haven't arranged anything, although I'm sure Mom will want me to come home. I'll have to see what the others in my team are doing. I wouldn't want to be stuck here by myself, after all."

"I'm sure your family would want you to visit," Goodwitch agreed. "You know, I'm actually looking forward to graduation day, assuming your family attend your passing out ceremony, that is. I think I would like to meet the woman who actually managed to tame the wild Luc Arc."

"You two would probably get on well," Jaune admitted. "You remind me of my mom in many ways."

"Really?"

There was something in the way Goodwitch said that word that alerted Jaune to the fact that he was walking on thin ice.

"Ugh… yeah. I mean, you're both really smart and determined. You both kinda look the same, too, with that blonde hair and being quite tall, and all. You're both really pretty, too."

"Pretty? Mister Arc, are you coming onto me?" Goodwitch asked in a dangerous tone.

"What? No!" he squeaked. "I just said you were pretty just like my mom! That's not coming onto you, is it?"

Goodwitch just stared at him impassively.

"Umm… can I go now, ma'am? I've… err… still got a lot to do before we break up and… umm…err… can I just go? Please?"

"You're dismissed, Mister Arc," she confirmed with a nod of her head. "I hope you have a pleasant break."

"Thank you. You, too!" he blurted, before practically sprinting towards the door. Before he reached it, however, his teacher's voice halted him briefly.

"Oh, and Mister Arc? When you return I think I should measure your Aura levels again. We need to establish what progress you are making, after all."

Jaune turned and looked at her with his eyes wide. Last time she'd tested him it had involved her kissing him. Surely she didn't mean she would be doing that again, did she?

"Have a very pleasant break, Mister Arc," Goodwitch told him in a completely neutral tone. "I'll see you again on your return."

Only managing a brief nod, Jaune turned and fled the room. Once outside, he slumped down with his back against the door, his heart pounding. Why was his mouth suddenly so dry?

"Okay, she has got to be messing with me, right?" he asked out loud. Unsurprisingly, there was no reply.

It was several minutes before he was calm enough to start making his way back to his room.

* * *

"Are you okay, Jaune? You're looking a little peaky."

Pyrrha's voice made Jaune jump. He'd just made it back to his dorm room and gratefully closed the door behind him. He'd been so intent returning to the comparative sanctuary of the room that he hadn't noticed his partner standing right in front of him. She was looking at him with a worried expression on her face.

"No, I'm fine!" he said, a little too loud. "It's just that… err… Goodwitch had me working extra hard today. Yeah, that's all."

"Well, if you're sure," she said doubtfully.

"I bet the professor's been teaching you some really neat stuff, huh?" Nora asked from her position, sprawled out on her bed.

"Yeah, although I didn't do very well today," he admitted. "Still, my dad always says you learn more from your mistakes than you do from your successes."

"That's very true," Ren agreed. He was also sitting on his bed, polishing his weapons with loving care. "The path of progress is never a straight one."

"Tell me about it," Jaune muttered, before a thought came to him. "Say, what are you guys going to be up to during term break? Are you going home?"

"Well… no," Nora replied, uncharacteristically subdued. "I mean, Ren and I don't actually really even have a home."

"Oh, gosh, I'm sorry, Nora," Jaune said, feeling embarrassed. "I just didn't think."

"It's alright, Jaune," Ren assured him. "This is our home now, and we consider you and Pyrrha to be our family."

"Oh, Ren, that's so sweet. I'm honoured that you think that way," Pyrrha said, clasping her hands together in obvious delight.

"It's true. You're like the sister I never had," Nora told her happily, "and Jaune is like a big brother. I hope we're together forever!"

"Me, too," Jaune agreed, feeling a lump forming in his throat. "What about you, Pyrrha? Are you heading home to visit with your mom?"

"Oh, well, I suppose I might. I really haven't made any plans, actually. Perhaps if Ren and Nora are staying here I should too, just to keep them company."

"Aww, you don't have to. If you want to head home to see your mom, Ren and I will be perfectly fine on our own. We're used to it, after all," Nora insisted.

Suddenly, an idea of unparalleled brilliance hit Jaune.

"Guys, I've got a great idea!" he said enthusiastically. "Why don't the three of you come and stay with me and my folks for a few days. Just in the last letter from my mom she was saying how much she wanted to meet all of you, and my dad would love it, too!"

"I don't know. Wouldn't that be an awful imposition?" Ren asked.

"Ooh, we'd get to meet your family? That would be great!" Nora bellowed, nearly bouncing off her bed in excitement.

"Yeah, it will be great! I can show you around the village where I grew up, maybe a few of my sisters will be back so you can meet them, too. Oh, and my dad does the best barbeque, ever! He's got this secret glaze he uses on pork ribs that is just to die for," Jaune informed them, really getting into the idea.

"Are you sure you shouldn't run this past your parents first?" Pyrrha asked. "I would hate to turn up announced and cause a bother."

"I'll call them now, but I guarantee they will love the idea! Honestly, hospitality is an Arc watchword," he assured them.

Pyrrha and Nora exchanged a hopeful look between them. Clearly, both girls seemed to really like the suggestion.

"Well, as long as your family are happy with us coming," Pyrrha agreed, her eyes shining with happiness.

"I'll call them now," Jaune said, pulling out his Scroll and quickly selecting his home number. It started ringing and he pressed it to his ear. "Hi, Dad? Yeah, it's me, Jaune. Yeah, I'm good. Say, how do you feel about the idea of me bringing the rest of my team over to visit for a few days? Yeah, all three of them. You would? That's great!"

Jaune gave his friends the thumbs up, which caused Nora to leap off of her bed, grab Pyrrha, and start a manic little dance of celebration. Even Ren put down his weapons and smiled.

This was definitely going to be the best break, ever!

* * *

As the bus pulled up at the small depot, Jaune felt his excitement mount. Ever since he and his team had disembarked from the airship they had taken from Vale and boarded the shuttle bus that would take them the rest of the way, he had practically been bouncing in his seat. Every road and signpost was familiar to him now, and he couldn't wait to be home. Strange, as he'd only been away a few months, but so much had happened that it had seemed much, much longer.

"This place looks pretty nice," Nora ventured as she stared out of the window. She seemed almost as excited as Jaune was to arrive.

"Jiayuan is a pretty good place to live," Jaune confirmed. "Funny, I aways used to think it was deathly-dull, but after a few months at Beacon I'm actually looking forward to some peace and quiet."

"Indeed, some downtime will do us all good," Pyrrha agreed cheerfully from the seat next to him.

"That is definitely something I can agree with," Ren added from the seat behind.

"Oh, I'm sure we'll find lots to do!" Nora disagreed. "You'd spend the whole break in bed if you could, lazybones."

"I'm just conserving energy for when I might actually need it," Ren protested.

"Really? Round here we call that sleeping," Jaune noted, grinning at his friend.

"Whatever gets the job done," Ren said with a shrug.

By now the bus had pulled up to its stop, and the driver had turned off the engine. With a hiss, the doors at the front opened and the other passengers began to file out. The four Beacons students let them go first, thus allowing themselves more space to manhandle their bags down from the storage racks about their heads.

Eventually, they retrieved their belongings and disembarked themselves. Jaune looked around at the familiar sights around him, delighted to be back in his hometown.

"My family's place is right on the edge of the village," he started to explain to his friends. "It's only a mile or so from here, so we might as well…"

"Jaune!" a voice cried out from nearby.

He turned to see his father, waving at him from the other side of the street. The man was grinning broadly as he walked towards them.

"Dad!" Jaune exclaimed as his father approached. "You didn't need to come and meet us."

"Nonsense. Hospitality is a trademark of the Arc family, and I couldn't let you all have to walk to our place, now, could I? I've brought the truck."

"Truck?" Nora asked hesitantly.

"Well? Aren't you going to introduce me?" Luc asked his son pointedly.

"Oh, of course. Guys, this is my dad, Luc Arc. Dad, may I introduce Nora, Ren and Pyrrha, my teammates. I'm pretty sure you can work out who is who."

"Of course I can! Please to meet you Nora," Luc said, slapping Ren on the back.

"You'll have to forgive my father. He has a peculiar sense of humour," Jaune noted dryly.

"Ha! Well, I thought it was funny," Nora said, offering her hand to the man. "Pleased to meet you, sir."

"Sir? By the Gods, I swear I haven't been called 'sir' for twenty odd year. You can just call me Luc, sweetie. We really don't stand on ceremony around here."

"Nevertheless, can I offer you my thanks for inviting us to stay with you," Ren said solemnly, offering his own hand to shake.

"No problem. In fact, we're delighted to have you all here. A fella's teammates are like just like family, so I consider you all now honorary members of the Arc clan. Anything you need while you're here, just let us know."

"That really is very kind of you, Mr Arc," Pyrrha said, smiling warmly.

"Oh, now! Aren't you just the loveliest young thing. You must be Pyrrha, right? I hope my dunderheaded son isn't causing you too many problems."

"Absolutely not!" Pyrrha said quickly. "Jaune is a wonderful partner, and an able team leader, too. I'm constantly thanking my lucky stars that I became partnered with him."

"Are you blackmailing her to say this stuff?" Luc Arc demanded of his son.

"No! Trust me, no one would ever be stupid enough to try and make Pyrrha do anything she didn't want to do, and if they tried they'd end up regretting it pretty fast," Jaune informed his father.

"Ah, it must be bribery, then," Luc noted. "I hope he's paying you well for this, Pyrrha."

"Dad!" Jaune exclaimed.

"Anyway, we should be going. My good lady wife is dying to meet you all, and a couple of Jaune's sisters even made it back. They're really keen to meet you all, too."

"Oh, who's here?" Jaune asked.

"Rose and Adele."

"Really, that's great!" Jaune said, genuinely pleased. "Couldn't the others get time off?"

"Nah, Violette and Mae are up to their necks in it, but they send their best. I couldn't even get hold of Harmony. She's out in the field, somewhere."

"Shame, I haven't seen Harms for ages," Jaune said sadly. "Still, it's great the other two managed to come."

"Yeah, I don't see my girls nearly enough," Luc agreed. "Anyway, come on, you guys. The white pickup truck is ours. I hope some of you don't mind riding in the back."

"Oh, a pickup truck!" Nora exclaimed, spotting the parked vehicle up ahead. "Hey, riding in the back of that will be fun."

"It certainly will be an experience," Pyrrha added, a little doubtfully.

"If you ladies prefer you can sit up in the cab with me," Luc Arc offered.

"Nah, the back will be fine," Nora said with a wide grin. "Don't be afraid to put the pedal to the metal, either!"

"Ha, I should have known you gals would like to walk on the wild side. Well, get aboard, guys. The rest of the family are just dying to meet you."

The four of them clambered into the back of the pickup, which had at least been cleaned, Jaune was pleased to see. As soon as the vehicle started moving, Nora clambered to her knees so she could see over the cab. Ren casually positioned himself right behind her so he would be able to steady her if they went over any large bumps. Jaune and Pyrrha just sat with their backs up against the side.

"This is a… novel vehicle, Jaune," Pyrrha commented as they started to pick up speed.

"I don't know why Dad brought it. As I said, it's only a mile or so on foot to our place, but by road you have to go right round so it's about three times as far," he grumbled.

"Your father obviously thought it would be nicer for us to ride rather than walk," Pyrrha replied, "although after the airship and the bus, I would have rather welcomed a short walk to iron out the kinks."

"Tell me about it. Still, it gives my Dad a chance to show off his cross-country driving skills."

"Really? But we're driving on the road," Pyrrha said, peering over the side.

"Not for much longer," Jaune explained with a grin.

No sooner had he spoken than the pickup took a sharp left and veered off the road onto what looked like a logging track. The engine of the vehicle revved several times as the wheels moved from solid tarmac onto compacted dirt, but Luc Arc controlled the vehicle with only the smallest twitch of the backend. Nora practically screamed with delight as they bombed down the track, creating a dust cloud in their wake.

"Woohoo!" she yelled happily. "Ren, when we get proper jobs we have to buy one of these!"

"Yay, the perfect way to travel in comfort and style," her life-long friend grumbled, his voice wobbling from the vibrations.

"Oh, come on, Ren. You must admit this is fun," Pyrrha coaxed her friend, apparently also enjoying the bumpy ride.

"I suppose it's better than walking," he grudgingly conceded. "Assuming we don't plough into a tree, of course."

"Nah, my dad is an expert in this thing," Jaune assured him. "I've seen him skid this truck down a mud-soaked, one-in-three hill, dodging trees as he went. He had several crates of milk in the back here, and he never spilt a drop."

"Good to know," Ren acknowledged, gripping the side of the vehicle tightly.

Fortunately for Ren, the trip didn't take particularly long and they soon felt the vehicle slowing. Jaune felt an odd sense of excitement as they rounded the last bend and his home came into sight.

"Is that where you live?" Nora demanded, pointing at the collection of white-painted buildings up ahead.

"Yeah, home sweet home," he confirmed. "It used to be a farmstead, but when the old owner died a neighbour bought all the surrounding land, but didn't want the farmhouse or any of the other buildings. With my family growing rapidly, my dad bought them up and converted them all into living accommodation. It took a hell of a lot of work, though, as they weren't in very good repair."

"It's brilliant!" Nora exclaimed. "Look at all that space, and is that a pond in the middle of the courtyard?"

"That's right. We used to keep ducks there, and chickens round the back. Dad gave up keeping livestock once most of my sisters moved out, though."

"It's quite charming," Pyrrha commented, for some reason looking a little misty-eyed. "It looks like a splendid place to grow up."

"It wasn't bad, I guess," Jaune agreed. "Ah, we're here. Come on, guys, let's get our stuff and I'll find out where everyone's sleeping."

The pickup came to a complete halt just outside the wooden, five-bar gate that marked the entrance to the property. Luc Arc spilled out of the driver's cab the second the engine ceased and began to grab their bags.

"Come on, Jaune, lend a hand. We're putting the ladies in the pink rooms as Violette isn't here. Ren can share with you," he informed his son.

"No problem," Jaune confirmed. "Pyrrha, Nora – you two will be sleeping in that low building over on the right. Normally that's where my sisters Violette and Harmony stay, but I guess as they're not coming back for the holidays that will be your accommodation. Ren, you're with me. My room is over the converted barn up front. There'll be plenty of space, don't worry."

"Indeed, your home looks very spacious and well-kept," Pyrrha agreed. "Jaune was saying you converted this all from farm buildings, Mr Arc?"

"Hey, what did I say about this 'Mr' nonsense? I'm Luc to you, my girl. But yes, I did pretty much do all the work as Sy was pregnant with Mae at the time, so she couldn't help much, other than work on soft furnishings and such like. Of course, the work was spread over several years. It seemed like I'd just finish work on one building before Sy would announce we were expecting another child and I'd have to start work on another. Still, this place is pretty special to us, I must say."

"It's awesome," Nora insisted. "I love all the flower beds planted everywhere. Oh, and look at all the honeysuckle bushes! This place must smell amazing in the evening."

"Yeah, it does," Jaune confirmed. "I think that's the strongest memory I have of my younger years, laying in my bed on a hot, summer night and the smell of the honeysuckle drifting in through the window."

"Umm, I'm sorry, but I don't think I've got all your family's names straight in my head yet," Pyrrha said. "Sy is your mother, Jaune?"

"That would be me, actually," said a voice from behind them.

They turned and saw a tall woman with short, blonde hair emerging from the main farmhouse. Her figure was on the voluptuous side, although no one would have ever guessed the woman had given birth to eight children in total. She wore jeans and a simple, checked shirt, and had a welcoming smile on her face.

"Hi, Mom," Jaune greeted her, hurrying over to offer her a hug.

"Ah, there's my little knight," she said, accepting his hug enthusiastically, before coming over to greet the new arrivals. "Hello, everyone. I'm Symphony Arc, although everyone just calls me Sy for short. I've been dying to meet you all."

"Symphony, what a wonderful name," Pyrrha exclaimed. "Oh, but one of Jaune's sisters is called Harmony, isn't she? Is that a family tradition?"

"It's a source of bitter disagreement every time we have to name a child, that's what it is," Luc Arc informed her. "Sy's family follow the tradition of naming their kids in memory of the Great War. You know, colours, music, art; everything that was supressed at the time by those morons in Mantle. I've never been too keen on raking up the past, so when I get a say, which isn't very often, the kids got normal names, like Mae and Adele…"

"Which is me," announced another voice.

The group turned to see another female had emerged from the house. While the family relationship with Jaune was obvious, the girl's appearance was very different from her other family members. This girl wore her long, blonde hair in dreadlocks, and her clothes were colourful, to say the least. Numerous necklaces and bangles added to the overall look.

"Guys, this is my sister Adele," Jaune told them, giving his sister a hug and a quick peck on the cheek.

"I'm glad to meet you all," Adele proclaimed. "From Jaune's letters, I can tell who you all are immediately. You described them really well, little brother."

"Little? I'm a good foot taller than you," Jaune grumbled.

Adele ignored him and offered Nora her hand. "So, you must be Ren…"

"We've done that joke," her father informed her.

"Blast, well, that's what I get for not coming to meet you at the bus depot. I'm only kidding, you must be Nora."

"I am indeed," Nora declared, vigorously shaking the girl's hand. "Nice ta meet you, Adele! I'll be expecting lots of interesting stories about Jaune from you while we're here."

"Oh, I think I can arrange that," Adele confirmed with a giggle.

"Whatever she says, it's not true," Jaune insisted. "Adele is actually studying art in Mistral. She's pretty good, I have to say."

"Really? Are you studying at the main academy there?" Pyrrha asked with interest.

"Yeah, I'm doing an art history course, but that's only because I couldn't get into the contemporary art class. Still, I like to think I'm perverting all the stuffy, old stuff. I'm not much for the classics, I'm afraid."

"What sort of work do you produce?" Pyrrha enquired.

"Strength, anger, colour, rage, angst, power, despair! That's what I produce," Adele confirmed with passion.

"Oh, umm, watercolours?" Pyrrha suggested.

Adele gave her a dark look.

"Oh, don't worry about Adele, dear," Sy Arc insisted. "She's quite the avant garde artist, you know. To be honest, none of us really understand what she's talking about most of the time."

"Mom!" Adele protested.

"Well, I'm sorry, but we don't, dear. We're a family of warriors, and fighting is all we really understand. Don't get me wrong, I'm immensely proud of what you do, but most of it goes right over my head, I'm afraid."

"I'd very much like to see some of your work, though," Pyrrha added quickly, possibly wanting to make amends.

"Good luck with that," Jaune whispered to his partner. He'd seen some of Adele's paintings and it mystified him how anyone could call it art. "So, Dad said Rose was here too. Isn't she coming to greet us?"

"Oh, Rose had to pop into the village for something, but she should be back any minute," Sy confirmed.

"Meaning, you asked her to do something around the place and she suddenly remembered she's allergic to doing chores," Luc grumbled.

"That sounds like Rose," Jaune admitted.

"I'm sure she'll be back soon," Sy said firmly. "Now, Jaune, why don't you take your friend Ren and show him where he'll be sleeping. Nora and Pyrrha, you girls come with me and we'll get you settled in."

"See you in a few," Jaune told his friends. "Come on, Ren, my room's this way."

The two young Hunters picked up their bags and headed towards the converted barn Jaune had pointed out earlier. In truth, only the shape of the building gave any clue as to its original use, as it had been smartly converted with framed windows and a large, glass front. A set of steps leading to a walkway were mounted on the side of the building, and it was up these steps that Jaune guided his friend. A solid, immaculately-painted white door led into what was Jaune's childhood bedroom.

"Here we are," Jaune announced as soon as they had entered.

"It's exactly as I imagined it," Ren said with a smile on his face.

Jaune looked around, trying to establish why the place was what Ren had been expecting. On second glance, perhaps it did reflect his personality, Jaune decided. While generally tidy, it was somewhat cluttered with items that revealed his tastes. Piles of comic books were stacked on numerous shelves, and the walls were decorated with posters of mythical knights and rock bands. A guitar and a small amp were proudly displayed in one corner, next to a stereo and his precious music collection. Against the far wall rested a set of weights and a training mat. Within these four walls were displayed everything that made him Jaune Arc.

"I guess I am pretty predictable," Jaune admitted.

"There's something to be said for consistency," Ren pointed out. "I envy you having a true home, my friend. Sadly, that is something that has been denied Nora and myself for a long time."

"Oh, shit, man, I'm sorry," Jaune exclaimed, suddenly remembering his teammates' upbringing as orphans. "Seriously, if you two ever need a place to stay I hope you'll think of this place. My parents were both Hunters and they're both of the opinion that you never turn your back on a comrade. Besides, I think of you and Nora like siblings, anyway."

"I'm truly honoured," Ren announced, bowing his head slightly, before a mischievous grin appeared on his face. "I notice that you don't seem to think of Pyrrha as being like a sister."

"Oh, um, I mean… what I meant to say is…"

"Never mind, Jaune," Ren said kindly. "I think she would have been extremely disappointed if you did think of her in that way."

"Smartass," Jaune grumbled.

"I take it this will be my bed?" Ren asked, pointing to a foldaway cot stacked to one side. The mirth in his eyes was obvious, however.

"Yeah, we might as well get it set up now to save us the hassle later. Besides, my Mom is probably interrogating the girls even as we speak. I expect they'll be some time."

"Undoubtedly. Well, this all looks very comfortable, and you have a wonderful home, Jaune. I am very much looking forward to my time here."

Jaune smiled and nodded. Undoubtedly, his short time away had changed him as a person and thrust new responsibilities on his shoulders, but standing here in his old room he started to feel like a small boy again. Despite it being an old cliché, it was really was true – there really is no place like home.


	2. Chapter 2 - Recreation

**Chapter 2 – Recreation**

AN

Well, you lot have faith in me, don't you? The initial reaction I got when people saw I'd introduced the Arc family into this story was 'don't kill them!' Me thinks I might be getting a reputation for ruthlessness…

Anyway, I can assure you all that no Arcs were hurt in the creating of this chapter. Mega thanks must be given to Arnel for correcting my many mistakes (honestly, how did I manage to write 'dinner' rather than 'diner' all the way through?) and for making me sound less like a middle-aged Brit than I actually am.

* * *

"Jaune!"

The cry made Jaune stop in his tracks. He and Ren had just finished setting up his bedroom for the both of them, and had gone in search of their female teammates. They had made it halfway across the courtyard before they had been stopped by a thunderous cry. Jaune turned just in time to see a tall, well-built blonde woman bearing down on him.

"Oomph!" Jaune gasped as he was enveloped in a bone-crushing hug that nearly made his eyeballs pop out.

"Jaune, my little honey bear!" the woman exclaimed while simultaneously cracking his ribcage. "It's been so long since I saw you last."

"Gah… Rose… need… to… breathe…"

"Oh, don't be such a baby. Look at you. Look what a big, strapping hunk you've become. A hug from little ol' me isn't going to hurt you. Not with those big, bulging muscles you have now."

"Rose… you just don't know your own strength, do you?" Jaune managed to wheeze. "Ren, this is my missing sister, Rose. She's a Huntress, herself, although she normally works in Mistral, hence why I don't get to see her very often."

"Very nice to meet you," Ren said offering his hand rather gingerly.

"Well now, aren't you a pretty boy. I bet you have all the girls positively drooling over you, don't you? I just love that little pink highlight in your hair. Oh, you're not gay, are you? I haven't just put my foot in it, have I?" Rose cried in dismay.

"Rose!" Jaune moaned. "Ren's not gay. At least, I don't think he is."

"Jaune!" Ren protested in turn. "Of course I'm not gay!"

"No, no, of course not. I never thought for a moment that you were," Jaune confirmed. "Err, I've never actually asked you. Just why do you have that pink streak in your hair?"

"My person emblem is a pink orchid, remember? Besides, Nora likes it and as she always cuts my hair…"

"Nora! Ah, I said this cutie would have girls hanging round him. Nora's one of your team, isn't she, Jaune? Actually, where is the rest of your team?" Rose asked.

"If you'd been here when we arrived, rather than skiving off down the village, you would have met them already," Jaune pointed out. "Mom's just getting them settled in. We were just on our way to find them, actually."

"Then I'll tag along," Rose decided, grabbing Jaune's arm affectionately. "Damn, I just can't get over how tall you've grown. It can't be that long since I last saw you."

"It's been nearly two and half years, Rose. I know we've talked face to face over the Transmit System, but it's been that long since we've seen each other in the flesh."

"Wow, it seems like only five minutes since I was last here. Time really does fly, doesn't it?" she lamented. "Still, I'm back now and I don't have to return to Mistral for a whole month, so I can spend time with everyone. When do you have to head back to Beacon?"

"We're only here for a few days," Jaune confirmed sadly. He was genuinely delighted to see his oldest sister again after so long, and disappointed that it would be for such a brief period of time.

"Well, we'll just have to make the most of it then, won't we," Rose declared. "Your teammates are sleeping in Violette's room, aren't they? Let's go meet them."

"Okay," he agreed. "Come on, Ren. It's over this way."

The three of them made their way across the courtyard towards a long, low building that had once been a stable, but had been converted by the ever-industrious Luc Arc into a charming cottage-like structure that housed the sleeping quarters of two more of Jaune's sisters, Violette and Harmony. Several trestles were mounted against the white walls of the building, and had an abundance of red roses growing up them. Most of the flowers were finished this late in the year, but a few buds remained to provide some colour.

Jaune walked straight up to the sturdy, wooden door and pushed it open. He entered into a narrow entrance hall that separated his sisters' respective bedrooms. Not knowing which room his mother had put Pyrrha and Nora in, he called out. An answer came from the room on the left, Violette's bedroom, so he led Ren and Rose into it.

"Hey, guys. Look who decided to show her face," Jaune announced, gesturing at his oldest sister who had followed him into the room. Rose ignored his comment and pushed past him roughly.

"So you two must be Nora and Pyrrha! I'm so pleased to meet you. Sorry I wasn't here to meet you but I had things to do in town," Rose said, hurrying over to Jaune's teammates who were both seated on a single bed, obviously in discussion with Sy Arc, who was perched on the other single bed in the room.

"About time you put in an appearance," Sy scolded her daughter. "Nora, Pyrrha; this is Rose, my eldest daughter, although you would never guess it from the way she acts."

"Hi, Rose. Nice ta meet ya," Nora chirped, standing to greet the new arrival.

"Ah, you're Nora, aren't you? Jaune's told me a lot about you in his letters. Nice job you've done with Ren's hair, by the way."

"What can I say? I'm naturally talented in so many ways," the orange-haired girl admitted shamelessly.

"And you must be Jaune's partner," Rose said, turning to Pyrrha. "Wow, he wasn't kidding. You really are beautiful."

"What? Jaune said that?" Pyrrha gasped.

"Oh, he said a load of other nice things about you, too. I've kept some of his letters if you'd like to see, assuming Jaune can't come up with a suitable bribe to convince me not to."

"Rose!" Jaune protested.

"Whatever he offers, I'll beat it," Pyrrha announced fiercely.

"Oh, no, honey. You don't have to beat Jaune's offer. In fact, if you match half of it, and the letters are yours."

"Rose, you are a truly horrible person," Jaune growled.

"Nah, she's awesome," Nora disagreed. "Pyrrha, when you get those letters, I want to see them, too!"

"We'll see," Pyrrha replied mysteriously.

"Rose, stop teasing your brother," Sy reprimanded her daughter, although without much conviction.

"Never incriminate yourself by putting anything in writing," Ren advised his friend. "Trust me, it will always come back to haunt you."

"Good advice," Jaune agreed. "A little late… but good advice, nevertheless."

Sy laughed out loud. "Oh, my poor little knight. Never mind. Well, I think we have your teammates all settled in here. Luc is planning a barbeque for tonight, but is there anything specific that you all want to do this afternoon?"

"Actually, I thought I'd take the guys into the village and show them around," Jaune proposed.

"Oh, that sounds like a grand idea. I'm still a little stiff from the journey, so stretching my legs would be very appealing," Pyrrha declared.

"Sounds good to me," Nora agreed. "Actually, dinner sounds like it's some time away. Is there anywhere to get a snack in town?"

"Ha, it sounds like you get to take your friends to Bennie's, bro," Rose noted. "It's a little diner and jukebox joint that's popular with all the teens around. Jaune practically lived there before he headed off to Beacon."

"You're going to Bennie's? Oh, mind if I tag along? I could just go for a milkshake around now," Adele said eagerly.

"I'll pass. Since I've moved to Mistral, my tastes have become a little more sophisticated than just burgers and milkshakes," Rose announced in a superior tone.

"You've been banned from the place again, haven't you?" Jaune said knowingly.

Rose glared at him. "It was just a stupid misunderstanding. I swear I didn't mean to throw that slice of pizza. My hand just slipped."

"Jeez, you're back five minutes and you've already been thrown out of Bennie's. I don't know how you do it, sis," Jaune lamented.

"It's just her natural talent for causing trouble," Sy confirmed. "Now, why don't you kids head out? I have lots to do, so you all go and enjoy yourselves. Oh, and Jaune?"

"Yes?"

"I know you haven't got Rose's aptitude for causing mayhem, but behave yourself, okay? You have a way of finding trouble."

"He certainly does," Ren agreed.

"Traitor," Jaune grumbled. "Okay, gang. Let's hit town!"

* * *

"This place is pretty cool," Nora noted as they walked down Jiayuan's main street.

"I guess there are worse places to grow up," Adele agreed.

As Jaune had previously stated, it had been a short walk to the village. Exiting the Arc's property via a short path, they had soon found themselves in a narrow lane that led straight into the outskirts of the settlement.

Jiayuan was one of those places that was probably too big to be called a village, but didn't quite qualify as a town. It had a fair share of shops, inns, residential homes and even a small industrial estate. What it lacked, however, was much in the way of entertainment for the teenagers who lived in the area. While Jaune had spent most of his teenage life either attending the local school or undertaking Huntsman training with his family, he'd been forced by a lack of options into spending his remaining spare time at home, mostly reading comics and books, or listening to music. When he had occasionally ventured out, however, it was inevitably to Bennie's that he went. He found that he was genuinely excited to be taking his friends to the place he loved so much.

"The architecture around here is very interesting," Pyrrha noted as they walked.

"Oh, yeah. Jiayuan is actually quite old, certainly as far as settlements outside of the Vale area go. There's the remains of a defensive wall around the place, and the ruins of a castle over the hill. I guess that's what first got me interested in stories of knights and stuff, messing around the place. There's a lot of history to this village and a lot of really old buildings," Jaune explained.

"Certainly a lot of stone seems to have been used in the construction of the buildings," Ren observed. "From where Nora and I come from, wood is more commonly used."

"Ah, well, there's a pretty big quarry just outside the village. Actually, they used to export a lot of stone to Vale via barges. There's a canal nearby, too."

"Quite an industrious little place," Pyrrha noted with approval. "I rather like the feel of the village, too. It feels… secure. Homely, I guess would be a good way to describe it."

"Yeah, but it can be pretty dull, though," Adele pointed out. "That's why I moved out as soon as I could. Jiayuan is no place for a fledgling artist with a taste for alternate lifestyles."

"You're probably right," Jaune agreed. "Still, it's a nice place to raise a family, I guess."

"That was probably a hint, Pyrrha," Adele told the redhead in a stage whisper.

"Adele!" Jaune protested, flushing to his roots. Pyrrha had turned an interesting shade of red, too.

"I don't know, Pyrrha," Nora said in a tragic voice. "Could you be happy here, living a simple, domestic life with your husband, Jaune? Running a home and satisfying his constant, carnal needs? Do you think you can manage eight kids? You do have child-bearing hips, after all…"

"Umm, Nora? I think that's enough with the teasing," Ren advised. "Both Jaune and Pyrrha look ready to kill something and I'm sure you don't want that something to be you."

"Oh, I'm joking. They know I'm joking," Nora said dismissively, before catching sight of Jaune's expression. "Err, maybe I'll be quiet for a while."

"Good plan," Jaune agreed.

"Jeez, you guys are so easy to wind up," Adele teased.

"For that you're buying your own milkshake," Jaune informed her. "Actually, we're nearly at Bennie's. It's just around the corner. I'm really excited to be showing you guys this place and… oh, no."

"What is it?" Pyrrha asked, alarmed at her friend's sudden change in mood.

"Jaune, what… oh, I see. Bannion," Adele noted sourly.

"What?" Ren enquired. "What's a Bannion?"

"Not what. Who. Fred Bannion. That creep lounging against the wall over there with his idiot friends," Jaune noted. "Trust me, this guy makes Cardin Winchester look like a sweetheart."

"Jaune got into trouble a few years back for getting into a fight with the jerk. Personally, I think you did the right thing by whacking him, bro. There are too many people afraid of that moron and his gang around here," Adele noted sourly.

"We'll just ignore him. I'm not letting that idiot ruin a great day," Jaune declared in a determined voice.

"That sounds like the best plan," Pyrrha agreed. "We're here to have fun and relax, not waste our time on hoodlums."

The group continued on their way down the street towards the diner. Unfortunately, the young man known as Bannion saw their approach and pushed himself off the wall, obviously intending to block their way. Three other young men and one girl copied his movement.

"Well, well. If it isn't Jaune Arc, himself. Back in town are you, Jauney?" Bannon sneered. "Someone said you'd got into Beacon Academy, but that's bullshit, right? A wimp like you would never get into a combat school."

"Funny you calling me a wimp, because I seem to remember beating the crap out of you a while back," Jaune retorted, halting a few yards away from the disreputable-looking group.

"You got lucky," Bannion spat. "Who are these losers you've got with you, then? I recognise that slag of a sister of yours, but who are these weirdos? I like the pink streak in that faggot's hair, by the way."

"Jaune, can we just kick the crap out of them now and be done with it?" Nora asked mildly. "No matter what we say, this is obviously going to end in a fight and we might as well get it out of the way. It shouldn't take more than a minute to polish off these morons, anyway."

"It might not be a bad idea, Jaune. Nora has a lot of unexpended energy that needs to be worked off. It's probably best just to let her use it up this way," Ren said unexpectedly.

"Really?" Jaune challenged his friend. Ren was normally the calming influence of the group.

Ren just shrugged. "That guy's a jerk, and I agree with Nora that this will probably end in violence no matter what we do. If it makes her happy, let her deal with it."

"Aw, Ren, you just really get me, don't you?" Nora gushed. "So, Jaune, can I deal with these idiots? Can I? Can I? Please!"

"What are you fruit loops on about?" Bannion demanded. "Do you really think this tiny girl can beat all of us? Have you all been sniffing Dust crystals, or something?"

"Allow me to explain," Adele announced, stepping forward. "Bannion, once again you have proved yourself to be an idiot and this time your stupidity has landed you in deep shite. You see, my brother really did get into Beacon and is just back here on term break. He decided to bring his teammates with him to visit and this 'little girl' as you refer to her is Nora, a Huntress in training. Basically, any one of this bunch could whip you and your dumbass friends with one hand tied behind their backs."

"Yeah? Like I'd believe a weirdo like you, Arc. You always were away with the fairies," Bannion taunted. "Bring it on, I say!"

Jaune sighed. "Okay, I can see where we're going with this. Just don't beat on them too much, Nora."

"Oh, yeah!" Nora growled with satisfaction.

"Err, what?" Bannion muttered, suddenly less sure of himself.

He didn't have time to say anything else. Although Nora wasn't as fast as someone like Ruby, she could still move like greased lightning when she wanted to. In the blink of an eye, the large, leather jacket-wearing thug suddenly found the small, ginger-haired girl just inches away from him. His eyes widened in surprise, but it was far too late for him to react. Nora's punch caught him squarely in the stomach with enough force to lift him off his feet and send him flying backwards. He landed in a heap at the feet of his four comrades who all stared at his fallen form in horror.

"Next!" Nora cried, and leapt forward.

Her next target proved to be a tall youth with spiky, green hair wearing a t-shirt bearing the image of some obscure punk band. He barely had time to raise his arms in defence as Nora's boot smashed into the side of his face. Watching impassively, Jaune was sure he saw the boy's whole face contort and reform, like a lump of Jell-O dropped on the floor, before he fell limply to the ground. Two down, three to go.

"Shit, spread out!" the sole girl of the group cried. Jaune remembered her name as being Simone, and that she was a complete pain. Her 'classy' outfit consisted of ripped jeans and a vest with a neckline that didn't so much plummet as just was completely non-existent. He'd heard that she'd hooked up with Bannion before he left for Beacon and he hadn't been surprised. Those two deserved each other.

Perhaps Simone shouldn't have called out, as it immediately drew Nora's attention to her. Seeing the trainee Huntress's eyes turn towards her, Simone gave a startled yelp and began to back up. She got two steps before a pink blur flashed towards her and she was thrown through the air, conveniently landing in a trash can across the street. She lay amongst the scattered garbage, not moving.

"Nora," Jaune called out irritably. "Do not litter!"

"Sorry," Nora yelled back, before spinning around and catching her next victim unawares. Her intended target this time was a hulking young man wearing tracksuit bottoms and a wife beater whom everyone referred to as Bubbles. Jaune had no idea where that nickname had come from, but he'd never heard the guy called by anything else. Bubbles towered over Nora and must have been twice her weight, but it did him no good. Shuffling her feet, Nora hit him with a beautiful right hook, before following it up with an uppercut from her left. Bubbles fell like a lead weight.

The one remaining gang member was by now panicking. The boy was called Clint and had long, straggly blonde hair which looked like it hadn't seen shampoo in months. Clint was wearing jeans so dirty Jaune couldn't tell if they were meant to be black or blue. The boy backed away from Nora with his hands held in front of him in supplication.

"Hey, doll, let's take it easy, 'kay?" the boy pleaded.

"Doll?" Nora repeated in puzzlement. "Hmm, do I like being called that? Maybe if Ren called me that it would be okay, but from you? Nah. Prepare to die!"

"Not the face! Not the face!" was all Clint had time to yell. Nora must have been feeling especially considerate that day, as she did indeed avoid marking the boy's face. Instead, she just kicked him squarely in the nuts.

"Ooh, I can't look," moaned Jaune.

"Indeed," Ren agreed in a sick voice.

"Ah, that's better," Nora declared happily, before looking at the assorted bodies lying on the ground. "Thanks for the fight, guys. I was feeling a bit tense, but this has really helped! So, Jaune, is the diner this way? I'm hungry."

"Uhh, yeah, just up ahead, Nora," Jaune confirmed, carefully walking around the prostrate body of Clint, who was whimpering softly to himself as he rolled in the dirt.

"Nora, I think I love you, you know that?" Adele said admiringly.

"Of course! Everyone loves me. I'm adorable," Nora exclaimed. "I'm also very hungry. Jeez, come on, you guys. I'm starving here."

"Sorry, Nora gets a little excitable, at times," Pyrrha apologised to Bannion's inert form as she walked past him. Jaune had no idea if the boy heard her or not.

Deciding to forget the incident, Jaune led the group towards a single story building that had smoky windows running all along its length. Mounted on the roof was a red neon sign that said 'Bennie's' in signature form. It was in this building that Jaune had spent a considerable amount of time, listening to music on the jukebox and supplementing his mother's healthy cooking with huge, greasy burgers and the odd pizza.

As they approached, Jaune could see numerous faces pressed up against the windows, all watching them approach. He realised that the fight had taken place in full view of the diner and had obviously attracted quite an audience. Hopefully, they wouldn't be refused admission because of it. Having one Arc family member banned from the place was quite enough for one day.

Realising there was only one way to find out, he pushed the swing door open and marched into the diner. A smile automatically crept onto his face as he took in the familiar red, leather booths and the brick walls covered in posters and memorabilia. The group had barely entered when a rotund man with an apron wrapped around his waist bustled up to them.

"Jaune Arc?" the man exclaimed. "I thought it was you! But they said you'd been accepted by Beacon. What are you doing back here?"

"Hi, Giorgio," Jaune replied in greeting. "I have gone to Beacon. I'm just back during term break. These are my teammates, come for a visit. Once I told them what an awesome place you had here, they all wanted to come and check it out themselves."

"Ha! Well, welcome, welcome all," the man announced happily. "My name is Giorgio and I own this joint. Err, Jaune, Rose isn't here with you, is she?"

"Nah, we left her at home. Adele is here, but you know she won't cause any trouble," Jaune assured him.

"Good, good. Look, I've got nothing against your sister, but when she starts throwing food at other customers just because she doesn't approve of the songs they picked on the jukebox, that's when I have to draw the line."

"I total understand," Jaune agree. "Besides, she always did have weird taste in music."

"Well, never mind that. Introduce me to your friends," Giorgio insisted. "I particularly want to meet this amazing young lady who whipped that waster Bannion's butt. Who are you, dear lady?"

"I'm Nora," she said introducing herself. "Shucks, I didn't do anything special."

"Nonsense, you, my sweet young thing, are remarkable. Allow me to bring you our extra special chocolate sundae as a reward, on the house. A special treat for a special girl."

"Oh, Jaune, I love it here already!" Nora declared happily.

"I bet you do," he replied, before turning back to the owner of the diner. "These are my other friends, Ren and Pyrrha."

"Pyrrha?" the man repeated, blinking owlishly at the tall redhead. "Oh, my life! You're Pyrrha Nikos!"

"Shush, keep it down, Giorgio! We don't want everyone to know who she is," Jaune scolded him.

"Sorry, sorry," Giorgio replied quickly. "Oh, my stars! The Pyrrha Nikos, in my diner! Come, let's get you seated, somewhere discreet. Take the end booth, there. It's big enough to accommodate you all easily, and is nicely out the way. There are menus on the tables and I'll be over to take your drinks order in a moment."

"Thank, Giorgio," Jaune said gratefully, before leading his team over to the booth indicated. He stood aside to let the girls slide in first, allowing Ren and himself to bookend the curved booth. Naturally, Ren sat with Nora to his side, and Jaune was next to Pyrrha, with Adele in the middle. They all grabbed a menu each, and began to inspect it enthusiastically. Clearly, watching Nora demolish those thugs had given them all an appetite.

Jaune eagerly looked at the menu like it was a long lost friend. It was amazing to think it had only been a few months since he'd last been in this place, but it seemed like a lifetime ago now. Figuring that there would be plenty of meat being served at the barbeque that night, he began to look at the pizza options.

In a surprisingly short amount of time, his friends had made their selection and Giorgio was summoned to take their order. Various sodas and milkshakes were also requested, and the gang settled back to await their meal. Something, however, still didn't seem right to Jaune.

"Music!" he declared suddenly. "I'm going to hit the jukebox, guys. I'll be back in a moment."

"Can I come and help you pick?" Pyrrha asked, a little plaintively.

"Of course. Come and give me a hand," he replied instantly.

Happily, Pyrrha wriggled out of the booth and followed Jaune across the room to where the jukebox was located. It was a large, old-fashioned thing, which was lit up in a multitude of reds, yellows and blues. With practised efficiency, Jaune pulled out a handful of change from his pocket and duly began to pump them into the machine.

"Any special requests?" Jaune enquired.

"Oh, umm, let me see what there is," Pyrrha said, nervously running her finger down the selection list, before frowning. "I, err, don't really recognise a lot of these bands, I'm afraid."

"You're kidding. Most of these bands are from Mistral. Look, you've got Arrival, Arrowsmith, Van Pagen…"

"I guess I never really had the chance to listen to much music growing up," she explained sadly. "I was always too busy and my mother only really liked classical music."

"Oh," Jaune said, feeling terrible for his partner. Mistral was famous for its films, bands and youth culture in general. It sounded like Pyrrha had been denied experiencing any of it. Suddenly, he began to understand just what a lonely childhood she must have had. On the spot, he came to a decision. "Well, don't worry, because you're in the company of a musical expert. Let me make the selections and you can tell me what you like as you hear them. I suggest we start with a few kick-ass rock'n'roll tunes, and I'll throw in a few power ballads, too."

"Okay, that sounds grand."

"Say, back in Mistral, did you get the chance to go to the movies much?" Jaune enquired.

"No, very rarely, actually. It wasn't often I could visit public places like movie theatres, not without getting mobbed."

"Do you want to go see a few movies sometime when we go back to Vale? They have a pretty neat multiplex in town and they normally show some pretty good stuff."

"You're… you're asking me to go to the movies with you?" Pyrrha gasped.

"Yeah, well, only if you're interested, that is. I wouldn't want you to…"

"Yes!" Pyrrha shouted, loud enough that most of the other patrons of the diner turned to look at her. She blushed and ducked her head. "That is to say, yes, I'd love to go to the cinema with you sometime."

"Cool. When we get back I'll check out what's showing and we'll make a decision what to see then," Jaune replied, totally missing the look of unabashed joy that had crept onto the redhead's face. "Now, let's pick some rockin' tunes!"

Jaune made his selections and the first song started playing as they walked back to the booth.

 _Just a small town girl_

 _Livin' in a lonely world_

"I don't believe I've ever heard this song, Jaune. I think I like it," Pyrrha said with a smile.

"Pyrrha Nikos, welcome to the world of rock'n'roll," Jaune exclaimed happily.

They stayed at the diner for several hours and everyone agreed it was a pretty cool place. They had all eaten more than they had probably intended, probably as the food was so good. Nora Valkyrie was the sole exception to this, as she had declared, several times, that she could have eaten more. A whole lot more. In fact, she'd stunned the unprepared Adele by how much she had eaten.

"I can't believe you put away a double cheeseburger, two portions of fries, a massive chocolate sundae, and stole one of Jaune's slices of pizza! Where do you put it all?" Jaune's sibling demanded of the hammer-wielding powerhouse.

"Oh, I've just got a fast metabolism," Nora had explained. "So, this barbeque your father is planning, will he have chicken wings?"

Adele just nodded in shocked silence.

Pyrrha laughed. "Don't worry, Adele. Nora will soon work off all those calories."

"Yeah, I'm like a high octane engine! I need a lot of fuel, but my performance is amazing," Nora bragged.

"That could be taken the wrong way," Jaune muttered.

"So, I have to say, I was very impressed by that place, Jaune," Pyrrha informed him. "I've never really had the chance to hang out somewhere like that."

"You know, there are some pretty good diners in Vale," he replied. "I know Ren and Nora have found a couple of cool places to go."

"Only because Nora is incapable of passing a restaurant without wanting to go in," Ren explained.

"Hey, I can't help the fact that I like to try new things," Nora objected. "Thanks to my adventurous nature we've found some great places to eat!"

"Yes, and we've also had to sneak out of at least one fancy restaurant because you ran up a huge bill that we had no means of paying," Ren pointed out. "That's one place we can never go near again."

"Pah, their crepes were average at best," she said dismissively.

Adele burst out laughing. "I can't believe what a great time you guys have," she exclaimed. "From what Rose and Mae have told me, I thought attending Beacon was pretty tough and demanding. You all sound like you're really having fun."

"It can be pretty demanding," Jaune confirmed. "We have to work pretty hard most of the time. Of course, these guys are so good that they just make it all look easy."

"Hey, fearless leader, you're no slouch either," Nora pointed out. "Besides, you keep us out of trouble. I doubt I'd ever be on time for class if you didn't keep reminding me."

"And Ren reminding you… and Pyrrha for that matter," Jaune grumbled.

"My mind is on other higher things," Nora said with a shrug.

"Like pancakes," Ren suggested.

"Pancakes! Jaune, we have to go back to Bennie's for breakfast before we leave! I saw they did a breakfast menu and I have to try their pancakes," Nora beseeched, practically drooling.

"You know, Jaune, depending on how good your father's barbeque skills are tonight, we may never be able to get Nora to leave this place," Ren said wryly.

"Then we're doomed. My dad is the king of barbeque."

"Really?" Nora exclaimed. "Then what are we awaiting for? Let's head back to Jaune's house as fast as we can. Mr Arc might need a hand getting the grill lit!"

The four of them stood in bemusement and watched Nora speed off in the direction of the Arc house, leaving them in a cloud of dust.

Pyrrha turned to a slack-jawed Adele. "See what I mean about her burning off calories?"

Adele just nodded. Really, what else was there to say?


	3. Chapter 3 – Interlude

Chapter 3 – Interlude

AN

Sorry I was a bit tardy with this chapter, I've been on holiday this week and had better things to do, such as eating, drinking and sleeping. I really am a simple creature.

Anyway, I'm rather fond of this chapter as it's a nice balance between action scenes and more tender moments. I have to say, I'm becoming quite attached to Luc Arc. No doubt when season 5 lands in October Rooster Teeth will introduce us to Jaune's family and poor Luc will prove to be completely inaccurate. Ho hum.

Huge thanks to Arnel, as always, and I hope the piano competition goes well!

* * *

Jaune sat contentedly and watched as the flames from the bonfire cast dancing shadows all around the courtyard. This all felt so familiar to him. Not only had his dad fired up the huge barbeque that had fed the Arc family on more occasions then anyone could remember, but he'd also built a large fire to provide the assembled group light, warmth, and add a certain medieval atmosphere to the proceedings.

His plate, currently resting on the ground at his feet, had the remains of a half-eaten burger on it. To be fair, it had been Jaune's third, so perhaps that explained why he'd struggled to finish it. Add to that the sausages, the chicken wings, the grilled vegetable kebabs, and the odd hot dog he'd also consumed, and it was a wonder he hadn't exploded by now. Thanks heavens he hadn't eaten too much at Bennies at lunchtime.

Looking around, he saw friends and family all mixed together, enjoying the food and company in equal measures. To see his parents and his two sisters take to Team JNPR so readily made his heart sing with happiness. Truly, he was blessed to be surrounded by so many wonderful people.

"Hey, son."

The log Jaune was sitting on rocked slightly as his father slumped down next to him. Silently, the man offered him a dark bottle.

"What's this?" Jaune asked suspiciously.

"Beer. What do you think it is?" Luc Arc grunted.

"Beer? Seriously, you're letting me drink beer?"

"You're old enough to risk your life in battle with the Grimm, so I figure that makes you old enough to knock back a couple of cold ones. Just don't go mad or do anything stupid, otherwise your mother will kill me."

"Gee, umm, thanks," Jaune replied and took his first tentative sip of the cold liquid. It tasted much bitterer than he was expecting, and had a yeasty aftertaste. Still, he was sure he'd get used to it after a while. Looking over to where Ren was chatting with Adele, he could see that his friend also had a bottle in his hand.

"The ladies are drinking wine, of course," Luc revealed. "A friend gave me a few bottles of really nice red a while back, and I thought this would be as good an occasion as any to break them open. Little Nora wanted to drink beer, though. She doesn't have many airs and graces, that one."

"Nah, she doesn't," Jaune agreed, his eyes automatically seeking out the hammer-wielder, and finding her sitting right next to the fire, a beer bottle in hand and an extremely happy expression on her face. For a moment, a shiver of fear ran through him at the thought of what a drunken Nora Valkyrie might be capable of, but he immediately shook it off. It probably wasn't any worse than what she was capable of sober, anyway.

"That's a pretty damn good team you have there, son. You really got lucky getting those guys," Luc noted.

"Oh, trust me, I know. We're pretty tight with another team at Beacon who are just as good, too. You know, I'm amazed at some of the talent that's at that school."

"That's good to hear," his father agreed. "Still, those three you've brought over to visit seem pretty special. I think your mother wants to adopt all of them."

"I'm sure they'd be more than willing. I think they like it here," Jaune said with a smile.

"Yeah, they're all really great guys. That Pyrrha is something else, I have to say. You two seem pretty tight, I notice."

"Umm, yeah, well… we are partners, after all."

"Have you noticed that she can't seem to go more than a couple of minutes without looking over to see what you're doing?"

"Oh, does she? I hadn't realised," Jaune spluttered. "You know, that's just Pyrrha. Always looking out for me and making sure I don't end up in trouble."

"The thing is, whenever she does look at you, she kinda gets this misty look in her eyes, and this goofy smile on her face," Luc continued. "That's one very pretty young lady, I have to say."

"Yeah, she's beautiful," Jaune agreed.

"She likes you. You do realise that, don't you?"

"I… yeah, I think she does, although why she's interested in me, I have no idea. I mean she's… ow!"

Jaune began to rub the back of his head where his father had just slapped him. It appeared that Luc Arc's favourite training method hadn't changed.

"Don't you dare say that she's too good for you," his father growled. "You, son, are an Arc, and there's no finer thing to be in the world. Besides, you have plenty going for you. You're a pretty damn good fighter. You're loyal and courageous. Hell, catch you in the right light and you're even reasonably handsome. There's no reason to think you're not good enough for her, even if she is the Mistral Champion."

"How did you know that was what I was thinking?" Jaune demanded.

"Because you're my son and I know how your mind works," Luc replied, sniggering. "Am I right in thinking that's why you're resisted getting into a relationship with her?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Jaune admitted. "At least partly, anyway."

"Son, I love you, but sometimes you're as dumb as a rock. That is one fine young lady, and I'm not just talking about her looks. For such an accomplished warrior, she's a gentle soul. I guess she reminds me of your mother a little in that way." Luc paused for a moment. "I've not always made the right choices in my life when it comes to relationships, which is why I thank the Gods every single day that I was lucky enough to recognise what a wonderful woman your mother is and actually get off my butt and do something about it. I've not always been that smart."

"Is this about Professor Goodwitch?" Jaune asked tentatively.

"Eh? What makes you say that?" his father exclaimed.

"Well, she did mention that you kind of chased after her while you were both students at Beacon. From what she says, you were sort of persistent," Jaune explained.

"Yeah, I guess I was," Luc Arc admitted with a sigh.

"I mean, you really annoyed her. She told me you were a bit of a slacker in your school days, and she had no interest in someone as lazy and unmotivated as you," Jaune continued.

"Oh, really?" Luc grunted.

"Yeah, I mean, she really despised you! You were a major disappointment to her, I think. I guess she must have realised you had talent, but Goodwitch said you just messed around all day with your no-good friends, goofing off, and causing trouble."

"Alright," Luc snapped.

"I think that's why she was so slow in agreeing to train me, simply because she didn't really believe a word you said. Really, Dad, you seriously pissed that woman off…"

"I SAID ALRIGHT," Luc bellowed, much to Jaune's shock. A second later, a guilty look appeared on Luc Arc's face, and he placed a reassuring hand on Jaune's shoulder. "I'm… I'm sorry, son. Back in the day, I was mad keen on Glenda, but she wouldn't give me the time of day. I guess I did goof off a lot during my first year, and maybe a bit through my second, too. But I knuckled down, and I graduated from Beacon with damn fine grades! Not that Glenda ever gave me credit. I suppose it was all for the best we never hooked up. We really are too different to have ever worked together."

"Err, I guess," Jaune acknowledged hesitantly. This really wasn't a conversation he was comfortable with.

"Look, all I'm saying to you is that you shouldn't let good opportunities pass you by, especially if it's because you don't think you're good enough. Damn it, boy, you've never been lacking in confidence before. Why are you getting all hesitant now?"

"I've always had confidence in my combat abilities," Jaune agreed, "but girls are something else! I've never really had too much experience with them."

"What about that girl in the village? Yazmin, or whatever her name was. Sheesh, you said I was persistent in chasing after Glenda, but you were all over that poor girl."

"Yeah, I guess I… hey! Wait a minute! What do you mean 'poor girl'? Just a second ago you said I was good enough for Pyrrha, so why wasn't I good enough for Yazmin?"

"I didn't say you weren't good enough for her, but she clearly had no interest in you, did she?" his father pointed out. "The more she rejected you, the dafter schemes you came up with to try and win her over. I swear, every single thing you did alienated that girl a little more. She could have tattooed the words 'not interested Arc' on her forehead, and you still wouldn't have got the message."

"Oh, umm, maybe," Jaune admitted, shamefaced.

"Pyrrha, on the other hand, actually seems really into you, and obviously you have at least some shared interests and beliefs. That girl from the village is just the opposite. She'll probably never leave this place, or even have the desire to do so. Can you imagine her risking her life fighting Grimm? Not in a million years. She'll probably just take over running her papa's shop, marry some handsome idiot with similar views on life, and remain here until she dies. Would that be the life you wanted?"

"Not in a million years."

"See? As I said, you were chasing after the wrong girl," Luc admonished him. "Still, the life you've chosen for yourself isn't an easy one, son. If I had my way, you or your sisters would never have even laid your hands on a weapon, let alone learnt to fight. But the world isn't a peaceful place and bad things happen, no matter how much you try and stop them happening. I've already lost two beautiful daughters, and I'm not going to lose any more children because they don't know how to defend themselves."

"Right," Jaune agreed passionately. He's had many arguments with his father on this very subject, and he was pleased that Luc Arc had now come over to his way of thinking. It certainly hadn't always been the case.

"That said, no matter how well trained you are, sometimes it all goes to hell and someone dies. That's unavoidable if you're a Hunter. You never know when your time might be up," Luc continued. "That's the reason I'm telling you not to waste the opportunities life hands you. Gods forbid it, but you don't know if something could happen to you or Pyrrha on the very next training mission you undertake. Imagine what you would feel like if you reject that girl for whatever stupid reason you have in your head, and she gets killed by Grimm the next day? Imagine just what that would feel like, son."

"But… surely it would be worse if we did get together and one of us died, wouldn't it? That would hurt more, wouldn't it?" Jaune protested.

"Oh, yeah. It would sting like a bitch, Jaune, but at least you would have had that time together. We all die, son, that's unavoidable, but what really matters is what we do with our time on this planet. For instance, if something happened to your mother I would be devastated, but not for one millisecond would I ever regret falling in love with her. The pain I would feel would be just the proof of how much I cared for her. When I die, I don't want to regret things I didn't do in my life. I want to be able to look back and say, I don't regret a thing. That's what's important."

Jaune said nothing, such was the turmoil in his mind. He just stared into the flames of the bonfire, trying to absorb his father's words.

"Time I went and threw a few more chicken wings on the barbeque," Luc Arc announced, standing up. "Looks like Nora has just finished up everything else. You go steady with that beer, son."

Jaune watched as his father walked over to the cooking area and busied himself with the barbeque. Nora immediately spotted him preparing to grill some more meat, and leapt up to help. A smile crept onto Jaune's lips as he observed his father gallantly trying to stop the small ginger-haired girl from throwing all the remaining food on the grill.

Feeling suddenly melancholy, Jaune took another sip of his beer before climbing to his feet. No one seemed to be watching him, so he slipped silently into the darkness, skirting the edge of the firelight and out of the courtyard.

Passing through a brick archway, Jaune entered his mother's vegetable garden. It was pitch black out here, but he was able to follow the gravel path that led between the planted areas well enough. After a few moments, his eyes began to adjust to the light given off the shattered moon overhead and the stars. With more confidence, he increased his pace until he left the garden and entered an area of scrub ground at the very back of their property. Soon, he arrived at his intended destination. He stood for a moment, his beer bottle still in his hand, and sadly looked down at the faint outline of the two gravestones.

"Hey, Jade, Gaby. Sorry I haven't come to see you in a while, but, you know, I've been busy at Beacon, and all," Jaune said quietly.

He paused for a moment and looked up to the night sky. The stars seemed especially vivid tonight, he thought. He took another sip of his beer before turning his attention back to the two graves.

"I'm doing pretty well at Beacon, I think. I bet that surprises you, eh, Jade? Bet you thought I'd flunk out within a week. Oh, I've brought my team to visit, by the way. They're a great bunch of guys. Ren is like this super-cool ninja type, while Nora is this hyperactive, hammer-wielding madwoman. She's a sweetheart, though, and really fun to be around. My partner is Pyrrha and, well, she's just all kinds of awesome. She actually featured on the box of that Pumpkin Pete cereal you used to like, Gaby. She's pretty famous."

His words trailed off. Even after all these years, the loss of his younger sisters still hurt.

"I'm sorry, you two. It's not fair that I get to go to Beacon and make my dream of becoming a Huntsman come true while you… you don't get to live your lives. I swear, there isn't a day when I don't think of you two. I miss you so much, I… I just wish I'd been stronger back then, so I could have protected you. That's what big brothers are meant to do, right? I'm sorry I failed you."

Angrily, Jaune wiped his face. He'd visited his sisters' graves hundreds of times, and had never broken down in tears before, not even when he'd been small. Why he was crying now he couldn't tell.

"Pretty pathetic, huh?" he mumbled. "I bet you're laughing your ass off at me, Jade, aren't you? I'm sorry, I just can't help it. It's just… a few moments ago I was sitting by the bonfire, my stomach full of Dad's barbeque, and I was thinking how lucky I was to have such great friends and family. Then I remembered that you guys aren't here anymore and I just felt… guilty, I guess. It doesn't seem fair. I survived and you two didn't. I… hey, who's there?"

A rustling sound from somewhere behind him had made Jaune turn in fright. Who or what was lurking in the bushes?

Slowly, a figure emerged from the darkness. As soon as her silhouette became clear, Jaune relaxed, recognising the person immediately. Pyrrha stood before him, looking rather distressed.

"I'm sorry, Jaune," she began. "I didn't mean to spy on you. I just saw you going off by yourself and was worried something was wrong. I had no idea that your sisters were buried back here. I'm so, so sorry."

Jaune looked at her for a moment. She really was beautiful, he thought, and the moonlight seemed to make her pale skin glow with a bright radiance. If her looks were stunning, what was on the inside was even more beautiful. He could hardly believe that she was so worried about him, and she taken the trouble to follow him to make sure he was alright.

"Pyrrha?"

"Yes, Jaune?"

"Would it be alright… that is to say…"

"Jaune, whatever you need, please just tell me. You know I'd do anything for you," she insisted.

"I… could you just hold me? Just for a little while."

At first, Pyrrha's eyes went wide with surprise, but then a gentle expression came onto her face. She stepped forwards and wrapped her arms around his middle. In turn, Jaune enveloped her in his arms and gentle rested his head against hers.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"Any time you need me, Jaune," she replied.

They stayed in that exact position for nearly half-an-hour. Neither of them said a word. They simply didn't need to.

* * *

Breakfast the next morning was a restrained affair, with even Nora admitting that she was still full from the night before. Tea and toast was therefore the order of the day, with everyone gathering in the Arc family kitchen to enjoy their light morning meal.

Luc Arc had just sat down with his morning newspaper when his Scroll rang.

"Hello? Oh, hi, Morris. How are things? What? Where? Really? But you haven't actually seen the creature? No, it's not a problem. We'll be there in fifteen minutes or so."

The Arc patriarch hung up and looked around at the curious faces of his family and guests.

"That was a neighbour of ours, Morris Inglewood. Some of his cattle have just been attacked and he can hear animal noises coming from a nearby wood. He thinks it's Grimm," Luc explained.

"Really? We haven't had an actual Grimm sighting for months. I suppose we'd better get over there," Sy Arc declared, purposefully rising to her feet.

"Hey, I'm coming too," Rose declared, pushing her plate away.

"Why don't we all go," Jaune suggested. "I don't know about the rest of my team, but personally I could use a little exercise this morning."

"The greater numbers you have, the easier it will be, right?" Pyrrha reasoned.

"Can't fault that logic," Luc agreed. "Okay, kids, grab your stuff. It's time to hunt some Grimm."

Soon, they were all piled into the family's faithful old pickup truck, with the Arc seniors claiming the seats in the cab, and Team JNPR plus Rose Arc in the back. Adele had decided not to accompany them as, by her own admission, she wasn't much of a fighter and would stay home to man the fort.

The Inglewood property wasn't far away and they made it in under ten minutes, thanks to Luc Arc's aggressive driving. Morris Inglewood proved to be a rotund, balding man with incredibly bushy eyebrows. The youngsters stayed in the vehicle while Jaune's parents talked to the farm owner. They returned quickly after only a brief conversation with the man.

"Okay, Morris thinks that the Grimm, whatever it is, is somewhere up by the top field and this side of the river. He's not seen the beast personally, but he reckons it must be pretty big as two of his prize bulls have been ripped to pieces," Luc reported.

"I know you're students of Beacon, but I want you four to be careful, okay?" Sy insisted, pointing at Jaune and his friends. "Let me, Luc and Rose check the situation before you get involved."

"Yes, Mom," Jaune agreed quickly before his team had a chance to say anything. He knew better than to try and argue with his mother.

"Okay, we'll drive down that track over there which should take us right up to the high wood where this thing is supposed to be. We'll dismount and continue on foot from there," Luc instructed them.

"Hey, the least amount of walking, the better. I'm perfectly happy to ride into battle," Rose announced.

"That's an interesting weapon you have there, Rose," Pyrrha commented as they moved off. "Is it just a whip or does it have other modes?"

"No, no other modes, but it does need any," Rose replied mysteriously.

"You'll have to see her fight to understand," Jaune told his partner, with a grin on his face. "She's pretty awesome."

"Thanks for the compliment, little bro. Actually, I can't wait to see how your team are in combat. If your letters are to be believed, these guys are pretty impressive," Rose said with a nod of her head at the rest of Team JNPR.

Jaune said nothing, but just smiled at his older sibling.

Presently, the pickup stopped in front of a five-bar gate, behind which was a strip of ploughed land. On the far side of the neatly furrowed earth was woodland. Although not especially dense, it was still impossible to see more than ten feet or so through the trees.

"Right, everyone out," Luc instructed, rather redundantly as everyone was already piling out of the vehicle. They formed a small semicircle around the Arc patriarch and awaited instructions. "Okay, this wood is several miles deep and probably four miles or so wide. It's bordered on the far side by a fairly wide river. We'll head straight towards the water and see if we can pick up any signs of the Grimm. Sy is the best tracker, so she'll lead with me beside her. You four youngsters follow next, and Rose, you cover the rear. Keep in close formation, no more than a couple of yards between you, and stay sharp. Got it?"

"Yes, sir!" the four Beacon students all exclaimed simultaneously. Luc Arc was just one of those guys who you obeyed automatically.

"Let's go, then."

They spread out into the agreed march order, with Jaune's parents taking point. Jaune fell in immediately behind them, with Pyrrha inevitably accompanying him. Ren and Nora followed next, with Rose casually following up behind. They moved silently, following what appeared to be a deer track deeper into the woods.

Jaune looked around, recognising this part of the wood. He and his father had combed this copse many times when he was being trained, as for a while it had not been uncommon for Beowolves to build their lairs here. Between the various members of the Arc family, they had systematically cleared the wood from any predators and Jaune couldn't remember any Grimm being reported here for years. Still, it just showed how persistent the monsters were. Somehow, they would always find a way back.

Although it was a fine autumnal day, it felt cold in the woods, no doubt due to the thick foliage blocking direct sunlight. The place seemed unusually still and quiet to Jaune, as not even birdsong could be heard. They walked on with a growing sense of unease, until Sy called for them to halt after perhaps twenty minutes of walking. Jaune looked ahead, trying to spot what had caught his mother's attention and gasped. It hadn't required a skilled tracker to detect signs of Grimm activity, after all!

"My goodness," Pyrrha gasped, having also seen the destruction up ahead. "Whatever could have caused this?"

The others hurried up and stood looking in amazement. A huge swath had been cut through the woodland, with small trees flattened and bushes ripped from their roots. The path of devastation continued in a roughly south-westerly direction, disappearing out of sight.

"I'm thinking this might be the beast's tracks," Sy announced wryly.

"Gosh, Mom, your tracking skills sure are impressive," Rose drawled.

"Just for that you're on washing up duty tonight," Sy told her impertinent daughter. "Well, there's no point just standing here. The path clearly leads in that direction, let's follow it."

"Same order of march," Luc called out, before they headed off again.

Jaune shared a brief unease glance with Pyrrha, before falling into line behind his father. Whatever had created this path, it must be huge. It had to be far bigger than any other Grimm he'd ever encountered in the area. About the biggest thing he'd ever seen in the locality had been a Beringel, which had been a real handful, but there was no way one of those ape-like creatures had caused this. This had been the work of something much larger.

They continued on in silence. The terrain was difficult to navigate, as it seemed the beast hadn't been too picky about its route, meaning the group had to clamber through ravaged scrub, up and down ditches, and over small streams. Jaune could practically feel the tension growing in the air around them as they walked. They had to find the beast soon, surely. After all, where could a monster so apparently large hide? The answer to that question came shortly later, when his mother again signalled a halt.

"Luc, aren't we getting close to the old copper mine?" she asked.

"I think you're right," he growled. "Damn, I hope we don't have to head down there. We're not exactly equipped to go underground."

"Let's just check it out and decide what to do from there," Sy decided.

Ten minutes later, the group were stood in front of a large, dug-out area of land. This was where they had conducted opencast mining when Jaune was young, but he remembered that they had given up when the deposits had dried up. He also knew there was a large shaft driven into the far side of the quarry which had been boarded up when mining had ceased. His parents had told him and his sisters to stay away from the area enough times, after all. Worryingly, from where he stood he could clearly see the entrance to the shaft, and equally he could see the boards that had once blocked up the hole had been smashed to pieces.

"Well, that answers that question," Luc snorted in disgust. "We'll skirt the edge of the quarry and examine the mine entrance from there. There's no way were going down there, though. Not without the proper equipment."

"Agreed," Sy confirmed. "Come on, let's see if we can get a hint of what's down there."

They walked around the edge of the quarry until they were directly over the mine entrance. It was a good ten foot drop down to that level, but that was no obstacle for the group, who all leapt from the quarry edge and landed warily in front of the gaping black hole.

"Look at the scuff marks on the side of the tunnel," Sy pointed out. "Whatever this monster is, it can barely fit through the entrance."

"Damn it all," Luc swore, examining the rock. "I'm tempted to just blow up the entrance and try and bury whatever it is down there. Trouble is, we can't be certain that the beast can't excavate its way out."

"This mine leads almost to the edge of town, doesn't it?" Rose mused. "If it does dig itself out, it might pop up right in the middle of Jiayuan without any warning."

"You're right," Luc agreed. "No, we'll head back and pick up the appropriate equipment before we head down there. We'll need to be certain that it's dead, and the only way we'll do that is to confront the monster face to face."

"Umm, guys?" Ren said in a concerned tone.

"What, Ren?" Jaune asked, not relishing the idea of heading down into the inky blackness, even with the proper torches and protective clothing.

"Can you hear something?" Ren asked.

They all stopped and began to listen hard. They all heard it immediately, scraping sounds coming from inside the tunnel, and growing louder by the moment.

"Well, ain't that convenient," Luc exclaimed. "Whatever it is, it's coming out. Everyone, this ledge gives us no room. Head down to the quarry bottom where we can spread out. Quickly, the damn thing sounds like it's getting a hustle on!"

Not needing to be told twice, the group jumped down two more levels until they all reached the quarry floor. Without a word, everyone drew their weapons and waited anxiously.

"Get ready," Luc instructed, his vicious-looking two-handed sword held out in front of him in anticipation.

"Nora, Pyrrha, use your ranged-fire options," Jaune ordered. "Hopefully you can get some good hits in before the Grimm gets close to us."

"Got it, boss!" Nora declared, and with a flip her hammer morphed into her beloved grenade launcher. Next to her, Pyrrha had her rifle at the ready. Ren, too, had his twin machine-pistols pointed at the entrance.

"It's coming," Rose announced, her whip in her right-hand, and a small bucker in her left.

Seconds later, the Grimm virtually burst from the mine entrance. It appeared to be too large to have fit into the narrow doorway, but somehow it had made it through.

"A Death Stalker! An old one, too, judging by its size," Luc snarled. "How the hell did that thing get here without anyone noticing?"

"It's been said that when they drilled that mineshaft they discovered various caves during construction. No one knows how far they lead," Sy pointed out. "There's no saying from how far away that thing has come."

"Open fire!" Jaune shouted, aware the beast was now fully emerged from the mineshaft and had apparently seen them.

The words barely left his mouth when a salvo of grenades arched overhead towards the beast. The air was punctuated by the sound of gunfire as Pyrrha began to pump rounds at the Death Stalker at a steady rate, although what damage the small Dust bullets could do against a monster that size was debatable.

The grenades impacted a moment later, causing a thunderous detonation and for a moment obscuring the Grimm in a cloud of dust. It emerged a moment later, however, apparently unharmed and emitting a high-pitched shriek of anger.

"Its armour is too thick," Jaune shouted angrily. "We'll have to do this the hard way and hack it to pieces. Ren, Nora; you're running interference. Keep moving and hitting it with slashing attacks. Pyrrha, you and I are going to try and hack its limbs off. Aim for the joints on its legs and its pincers. If you get a chance, try and sever the stinger, too. Remember, speed is essential. Keep moving!"

Without a backwards glance, the four of them leapt forward as fast as their legs would carry them, towards the rapidly advancing Death Stalker. The Grimm was just clambering down onto the quarry floor when Nora, the first to reach it, met it head-on. With a shout of glee, she smashed her now-reclaimed hammer down right between the beast's many sets of eyes. Despite its huge size, the Death Stalker actually quivered on impact; however, it recovered instantaneously and Nora had to leap to avoid its snapping pincers.

Ren attacked next, again targeting the eyes with several short bursts of fire from his machine pistols. With a graceful backflip he avoided a pincer swung in his direction, before scrambling up the earth bank of the quarry and getting above the beast. He leap onto its back, firing all the time. The Grimm thrashed about, unable to see its attacker.

Pyrrha took advantage of the beast's distraction and jumped in, swinging her xiphos at the knee joint of one of the monster's eight legs. Her aim was impeccable, and the lower leg fell away, showering black dust everywhere from out of the wound. The Death Stalker emitted a screech that shook the very air as it turned on its assailant. It was too late, however, as Pyrrha had already darted back out of reach.

Taking his turn next, Jaune dived at the beast from the opposite side. Crocea Mors hacked at the joint of one of the huge front pincers forcefully. Unfortunately, this joint was considerably thicker than the leg joint, and Jaune failed to sever it. However, he clearly injured the beast as the pincer dropped to the ground and the Death Stalker appeared to be struggling to lift it. While he hadn't cut it completely off, Jaune guessed that he'd cut the tendons on the joint, which was just as effectively.

Rather than retreating, Jaune chose to leap onto the beast's back to avoid reprisals, joining Ren who was skilfully dodging stabbing attacks from the beast's stinger, while slashing at the thing with his blades whenever it got close. Not slowing for a moment, Jaune ran up the Stalker's back and aimed a mighty swing at the base of the stinger. Again, he failed to sever it, but appeared to do some damage.

The monster unexpectedly lurched, nearly causing both Jaune and Ren to fall. A quick glance to the side revealed why. While Jaune had been occupied, Pyrrha had managed to cut another of the Stalker's legs off, while Nora fended off the snapping pincers with her hammer. The remaining two legs on that side appeared to be struggling to carry the monster's weight, hence why the Grimm had nearly fallen. Realising they could rob the Death Stalker of its mobility completely, he leapt over to the left where Pyrrha was, his blade firmly grasped in his hands. As soon as his feet hit the ground, he swung at one of the remaining legs a fraction of a second before Pyrrha struck at the other remaining one. Both legs were severed, causing the Death Stalker to scream and topple onto its side.

Both Jaune and Pyrrha had been expecting the beast's collapse and were already moving. Ren had obviously seen what was happening, too, and had jumped off the right-hand side of the beast, before turning and scrabbling up the earth bank again, intent on getting above the flailing monster. Nora had simply backed up, her hammer held in front of her defensively.

By now the Death Stalker was panicking, its one remaining working pincer snapping furiously at thin air, while its stinger swung about, randomly stabbing at the ground in the hope of hitting something. Its legs on its right side were a blur of movement, but all this did was move the monster around slowly in a circle.

"Aim for the stinger next," Jaune yelled. "Then we go for the underbelly!"

"Already on it," Pyrrha called, and a moment later she threw her shield like a discus, its bronze metal flashing in the weak fall sunlight. Using her Semblance, she guided the spinning object with pinpoint accuracy, severing the bright-orange stinger right at the point where it attached to the Stalker's tail. It fell heavily, and bounced off the monster's back to land in the dirt.

Knowing the monster now had only its one remaining pincer as a weapon, and that was nearly useless as it was on the side of the beast that was dragging on the ground, Jaune realised now they could finish the Stalker off completely in comparative safety. Sheathing his sword for a moment, he transfigured the weapon into its heavier, two-handed form. With a mighty cry, he lunged forward, darting between the damaged pincer and the frontmost leg. Although Death Stalkers had armour all over their bodies, it was much, much thinner on their underside, and it was here that Jaune plunged his blade.

The beast again emitted a terrible, high-pitched scream, and began to thrash about even more. Nora took the opportunity to strike at the monster's good pincer with her hammer, crushing it to a pulp. A moment later, Pyrrha emerged from out of the blue and thrust her own blade upwards from her position behind the Stalker's rearmost leg. Although not as long a weapon as Jaune's, it still bit deeply into the body of the beast, spilling black dust everywhere. Knowing victory was at hand, Jaune thrust upwards again and again, ripping the monster's underbelly to shreds. The sound of Ren's machine pistols filled the air, as the black-haired ninja sprayed the Stalker's eyes with fire.

Jaune's fifth thrust was the one that did it. Unable to take anymore punishment, the Death Stalker's remaining legs gave out, and the beast crashed to the ground, nearly trapping both Jaune and Pyrrha underneath it. They both desperately dived out of the way in the nick of time, however, and stood, breathing heavily, as the gigantic monster gave one final twitch before becoming still. A moment later, its body disintegrated completely into dust, causing the four members of Team JNPR to backpedal furiously.

"Good work, guys," Jaune managed to gasp in between breaths. Only Nora had the strength left to offer a joyful cheer, while Ren sank down onto his knees. Pyrrha came over and stood by Jaune, offering him a triumphant smile.

"What was the point of me coming out here? I might have just stayed at home," a voice declared in a huffy tone. "I didn't even get to show off my skills."

Jaune turned to see Rose standing nearby with her arms folded and a petulant expression on her face. His parents were right behind her.

"Well, it looks like you do have a talented team, after all," Luc noted, a faint smile on his lips. His wife, however, didn't look so amused.

"What was it I said about letting us handle things?" Sy demanded, her face like thunder. "Didn't I expressly tell you four not to go charging into danger?"

 _Oh crap,_ thought Jaune.

A Death Stalker was one thing, but an angry Sy Arc was another thing entirely.


	4. Chapter 4 – Warning

**Chapter 4 – Warning **

**AN**

Ah, chapter 4 already, and this is the point that I start (very gradually) working an AU plot into the story. This storyline will really only start to become more developed in later follow-ons to this story, but the ground work it being laid here. Oh, I also tackle the infamous season 2 food fight here, but I come at it from a slightly different direction.

Mega thanks to my wonderful beta, Arnel.

* * *

"Jaune, could you come and give me a hand with lunch, please?"

The young knight in question sighed. Since the fight yesterday, his mother had been tasking him with all sorts of menial chores in punishment for him recklessly leading his team into battle without his parents' approval. The fact that they had cut a Death Stalker to ribbons with comparatively little efforts didn't seem to make much of an impression on Symphony Arc, unfortunately.

With his father smirking at him, and the rest of his team looking on sympathetically, Jaune rose from his seat and headed towards the kitchen. At least helping make lunch wouldn't be too much of a chore. He'd helped out enough times preparing food for their big family over the years, certainly. Besides, this was his last full day at home, as in the morning Team JNPR would be catching the bus back to school.

"Ah, there you are," his mother noted briskly as he entered the kitchen. "Those potatoes need peeling, and after you've finished that start on the carrots and onions."

"Yes, Mom," Jaune agreed meekly, fetching a peeler from a drawer and starting work on the small mountain of potatoes in front of him. His was a large family, and feeding all of them had always been a labour intensive task. Normally, however, at least one of his sisters was instructed to help.

"I was very impressed with the way you and your team fought yesterday."

Jaune blinked. He hadn't been expecting praise from his mother, who'd seemed too angry that her instructions had been ignored than to offer any comment on his abilities.

"Umm, thanks, Mom," he replied, before turning his attention back to his half-peeled spud.

"I think I was taken a little by surprise at how much you've grown in such a short time," Sy continued. "When you left for Beacon, I guess I still just saw my dear little boy, but yesterday, I saw an accomplished young Huntsman in training, and one capable of leading a team of skilful warriors, too. That school is doing you good, I think."

"You always did seem a bit reluctant to let me go there," Jaune pointed out. "I told you how Professor Goodwitch has been helping me control my Semblance, right? She's really been a big help to me. Besides, if I hadn't I would never have met Pyrrha, Ren and Nora. I really can't imagine life without those guys now."

"Your fellow team members will always be dear to you," Sy agreed. "I dearly miss all my old team. I really don't see them nearly enough. Regardless, none of that has anything to do with the real reason I didn't want you to go there."

"Really? Then why didn't you want me to go?" Jaune asked, intrigued. His mother had never mentioned any of this before.

Sy Arc put down the knife she'd been using to cut up strips of beef for their stew and turned to look at him. She stared at him thoughtfully as she wiped her hands on a small towel.

"This is a talk I really wasn't expecting to have with you so soon," she admitted. "Jaune, ever since we… lost your sisters… you've been a driven young man. The amount of time you spent training with your father and your sisters, almost to the detriment of everything else, well, it impressed me, I must say. I've always known that one day you'll be a great warrior, but it looks like that day is going to be here much sooner than I had anticipated."

Jaune just nodded, not quite knowing how to respond to this praise.

"I'll be truthful. The idea that you're coming into your full powers sooner rather than later fills me with misgivings. Jaune, my darling, I can see you've changed so much in just the short time you've been away. Oh, I don't mean physically, although I do think you're in even better shape now then you were before, but I mean you've grown as a person. I was surprised and delighted to hear that you were made a team leader, and I can see that has been a wonderful experience for you. You've matured and I think you're becoming a more rounded person, too. Certainly, the way you interact with your team warms my heart. You always had so few friends growing up."

"No one at school understood me. They never appreciated what I'd been through and what drove me," Jaune explained softly. He'd always felt like an outsider in school, and most of his fellow pupils had thought he was weird.

His mother nodded in sympathy.

"I know, darling, and perhaps I never fully understood how lonely it must have been for you. You always had your family around you, but seeing how you act around your new friends I can begin to comprehend what you missed. But still, being a team leader brings its own responsibilities and pressures. Your team might be your friends, but sometimes you might have to give them orders which they might not appreciate. That is the burden of command."

"Yeah, I get that," Jaune agreed. "Fortunately, I haven't had to do too much of that stuff. The guys are all so great that I don't need to order them about. Apart from ordering Nora not to steal from the school kitchens, of course."

Sy laughed softly. "Yes, she does have an appetite that one, doesn't she? I genuinely hope that being a team leader never puts a strain on your relationship with any of those three, and I doubt it will. They are all good people, and just from the little I've talked to them I can understand their motivations to become Hunters. They all have pure hearts and a desire to help others."

"Yeah, they do," he agreed, suddenly feeling extremely proud of his team.

"Things are not always that simple, however," Sy warned. "If you should rise to command more than just your team, you will find that you will start needing to consider other factors and points of view. The more people under you, the more complications there will be."

"I doubt I'll ever lead more than just me team," Jaune snorted.

"Maybe, and maybe not. But I'm going to give you some advice now and I want you to think about it seriously. The next time I see you I'm going to ask you about it."

"Homework?" Jaune groaned.

"In a way, but think of it more as an observational exercise. You see, son, I firmly believe that nothing happens in this world without a reason. Things don't just happen, and invariably there is someone with an agenda pushing for them to occur. Those people, those who make things happen in this world, will all have beliefs that motivate them."

"Okay, I can see the logic in that," Jaune agreed. "Great people often do great deeds, right?"

"Indeed, and it might also be said that terrible people can perform terrible deeds, but I guarantee that if you analyse those peoples' actions, you will find something that motivated them in the first place. Fools talk about good and evil, but that's gibberish. No one is truly evil, just as no one is truly good. We all have hundreds of emotions and ideas pulling us in all directions, and when these things become strong enough they will motivate us to act."

"Right," Jaune drawled, not quite seeing the point his mother was making.

"Just remember, everyone is different and we all have our own motivations. You might praise some noble hero for performing some great deed, but I'll bet that if you could look into that person's head you would find influences that you weren't expecting. We all have things that drive us, and everyone puts a slightly different emphasis on what is important."

"So, what are you saying? Why is this so important for me to know?" he asked, genuinely puzzled.

"You talked about great people performing great deeds. What I want you to think about is what exactly motivated these great people to such lengths. Try and think what might have been going through their heads when they decided to do whatever it is they did. Think about the responsibilities these folks might have, and what pressures they might be under. Consider what information they might have at their disposal, and what the motivations of the people who provided that information might have had themselves. Think about what repercussions these leaders might be concerned about for performing this act or taking some alternative action. Think about all those things."

"Mom, that's… just too much," Jaune protested. "How can you ever know what another person is thinking?"

"You can't, not completely," his mother agreed, "but I'll tell you that the great leaders of this world are the ones who can predict what their opposite numbers are thinking with a degree of accuracy. They'll take all the information they can gather, analyse it, perhaps use their own instincts when considering it all, and once they've done all that, they will act on it."

"So, you're saying that to become a great leader I have to start trying to predict what my opponents might do?"

"Oh, always. That's always a good thing to do," Sy agreed, "but remember, we're now getting into the territory of first causes and greater goods. Once you get to a certain level, individual pieces on the chess board become irrelevant, and the player must consider all the factors involved in the game. Chances are, these 'great leaders' will have significantly different motivations than the average person, and be party to more information than will ever be known to the general public. These people will have an aim or goal they believe must be achieved, and if they believe that target is so vital that nothing can stand in the way of achieving it, they will take any action they feel is justified."

"Mom, why does this feel like you're giving me some sort of warning?" Jaune asked warily.

"Because I am. Remember, Professor Ozpin is an extremely powerful and influential man. It's probably impossible to know exactly what motivates him, and so you should always be aware than you won't know exactly what his agenda is. Never accept anything a man in his position says without giving it careful thought."

"You… you don't trust the headmaster?" Jaune gasped.

"I don't trust anyone with that much power," Sy corrected, "especially someone with as mysterious a past as he has. Your father was convinced that the training you would get at Beacon, especially with regard to your Semblance, outweighed any risks, but personally, I'm concerned that Ozpin seems to have taken such an active interest in you. I'm sure that his aims and goals are pure, but I'm not convinced that the methods used to achieve these goals will always be to the average person's advantage or, more importantly, yours."

"I'm sure Ozpin would never do anything to hurt someone. He's a good man," Jaune protested.

"I'm sure he is. However, if he tells you something, or asks you to perform some task, always ask yourself; 'what is his motivation for asking this'. It's only good sense, Jaune. Don't become a pawn in someone else's game."

Silence fell as Jaune looked at his mother with a shocked expression on his face. She said nothing, but walked over to him and placed a soft kiss on his cheek, before walking back to the counter and continuing to prepare lunch.

Jaune slowly started peeling potatoes again, feeling like he'd just been punched in the stomach.

* * *

"Are you alright, Jaune?"

Jaune looked up straight into the bright green eyes of Pyrrha. She was staring at him with a worried expression on her face.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he assured her.

"Are you sad to be heading back to Beacon?"

"That's… not really it."

They were currently on the bus that was taking them to the airship station, having departed the Arc household that morning. It had been with mixed feelings that Jaune took his leave of his family, and his mother's words from the previous day were still playing in his head.

"Your family are quite wonderful," Pyrrha continued. "Your father was very sweet, and your mother so kind. It's a shame we didn't get to meet all your other sisters, though. Adele and Rose both very interesting, in their own ways."

"Oh, that's the Arc family in a nutshell. We're all unique," Jaune mumbled.

Pyrrha laughed. "You are, indeed. I can understand if you're upset to be leaving them."

"Nah, I mean, it was great to see them, and all, but I went to Beacon to become the best Hunter that I can, and I still need to do that. No, it's just something that Mom said to me yesterday that got me a little unsettled," he admitted.

"What did she say?"

Jaune looked back at Pyrrha for a moment. Did he tell her what his mother had said? It was, after all, not the sort of thing he should really spread about. No, Pyrrha was his partner and he trusted her with his life. There was no reason not to tell her about this.

"Mom gave me a sort of warning," Jaune began to explain. "Basically, I think she was trying to tell me not to take everything Professor Ozpin says at face value."

"The headmaster? Why ever not?" Pyrrha demanded.

"I think she distrusts anyone with as much power and influence as he has. While Mom said she doesn't think he's a bad man, the Professor has a lot of responsibilities and duties, and that he'll always put those above the wellbeing of any individual if he's forced to. I guess she was trying to remind me that he's not just the headmaster of a combat school, but an important and influential man."

"I… see," Pyrrha acknowledged slowly. "I think I understand what she means, although I suppose I see it from a very different point of view. I come from Mistral, and we almost expect our leaders to be at least partially corrupt. Bribes and favours are almost expected to be given to get anything done in our kingdom. It's just the way things are. One of the reasons I came to Beacon rather than attend Haven was because I was concerned that school might try and manipulate my fame in some way. I think that coming from that background makes me a little wary of any person in power, anyway."

"Wow, really? I thought Vacuo was the lawless kingdom," Jaune commented.

"Well, Mistral's not exactly lawless, we just have a certain way of doing things that isn't always completely honest," she explained. "As for Professor Ozpin, I believe he is a good man, but as your mother says, he has other roles and responsibilities. Generally, I would say I trust him, but not blindly. There's very few people I unconditionally trust, Jaune, and most of them are sitting with me on this bus."

Jaune glanced over his shoulder at Nora and Ren who were in the seats behind them. Neither of them were paying any attention to the ongoing conversation. Indeed, Nora looked like she was asleep, with her head resting on Ren's shoulder while he tried to read a book.

"I feel the same, although I trust my family implicitly. If Mom tells me to do something, I admit I'm probably going to do it."

"You're a good boy," Pyrrha noted with a smile and a gentle pat on his head.

"Laugh if you will," Jaune snorted, "but you've never seen my mom angry. Trust me, if you had, you'd being doing exactly what she tells you to do, too."

"Probably," Pyrrha admitted, still grinning at him. "Still, I don't suppose this will be much of an issue, anyway. I mean, it's not like we have that much direct contact with the headmaster. Even your additional training is done by Professor Goodwitch."

"Yeah, you're right. I'm worrying over nothing," Jaune agreed, feeling slightly better about the whole thing.

"Quite right. Now, we'll be at the airship station soon. Have you taken your airsickness pills?"

"Oh, crap," Jaune exclaimed, and began to rummage through his hand luggage.

It was at times like this that he really did appreciate his partner.

* * *

They arrived back at Beacon with no mishaps or dramas, and were soon settled back into their room with minimal disruption. The evening was spent quietly, with the group lounging around talking and listening to music, but otherwise doing very little.

It wasn't until breakfast the next morning that they encountered their near neighbours, Team RWBY. The two teams met on opposite sides of a large dining table and greeted each other warmly.

"Hey, so are you guys just back from visiting Jaune's folks?" Ruby enquired as soon as they had all settled down.

"Yeah, and we had an awesome time!" Nora exclaimed.

"We did indeed," Ren agreed. "Jaune's family were extremely hospitable and treated us as if we were their own kin."

"Did you meet any of Jaune's sisters? I'm kinda curious as to what his siblings would be like," Yang asked.

"Hey, you could just ask me," Jaune protested.

"Nah, that's no fun," Yang said dismissively. "I want to hear the gossip from a reliable source, like Nora."

"Nora's a reliable source?" Pyrrha gasped, rather stunned by the idea.

"Spill, Valkyrie," Yang insisted.

"Well, we only met two of his sisters, but Rose was pretty damn amazing. She's a Huntress who operates in Mistral, and she's pretty bad ass," Nora explained to the group.

"And the other one?" Weiss pushed.

"Oh, Adele. She's an artist, or something. I didn't much care for her," Nora sniffed.

"Adele took rather a shine to Ren, I'm afraid. That's what's got Nora so upset," Pyrrha added.

"No, it isn't!" Nora blurted, turning a bright shade of red. "I mean, she's only an artist. What sort of job is that?"

"I think it's a pretty important one," Jaune announced, determined to stand up for his sister. "Remember what happened back in the Great War when Mantle and Mistral banned all the arts in an effort to suppress emotions? All they did was make everyone miserable and what did that do? Attract more Grimm, of course. That arts – music, films, theatre, and yes, painting – that stuff is all meant to bring you positive emotions, stuff that stirs your soul. Those idiots back then forgot that although negativity attracts Grimm, positivity repeals them. They should have been encouraging the arts, not suppressing them. You could say that Adele is just fighting the Grimm in her own way, just with a paint brush rather than a gun or a sword."

"Her work is certainly interesting," Ren added.

"Yes, Adele took Ren to her room to show him her etchings," Pyrrha revealed mischievously.

"It was all totally innocent! I just enjoyed looking at her work," Ren said quickly, glancing at an increasingly angry-looking Nora.

"You were certainly in there long enough," Jaune pointed out with disapproval in his voice.

"I… err…. there were a lot of pieces to look at. She's quite a prolific artist," Ren insisted as Nora began to reach for her hammer.

"So, what else did you guys do, Nora?" Blake asked, evidently trying to prevent a bloodbath.

"Oh, well, we ate at this great diner that Jaune hangs out in when he's back home. That place was fantastic, and the owner actually gave me free desert because he liked me so much," Nora said enthusiastically, her anger gone in an instant. "Yeah, and Jaune's dad does a great barbeque! Man, that stuff was yummy. We sat around a huge bonfire drinking beer and stuffing ourselves with huge burgers and tangy chicken wings. We have to go back soon, Jaune!"

"Well, I guess I know what you guys got up to over the break. You might want to hit the salad option at lunchtime. I mean, you don't want to start getting all flabby now, do ya?" Yang said, smirking.

"Wanna see who can bench press the heaviest weights or do more push ups?" Nora challenged with a growl.

"Ah… on second thought, all that fresh air and country cookin' has been good for you all. You're looking great," Yang announced, backpedalling furiously.

"So, what have you four been up to?" Pyrrha enquired before lowering her voice. "Have you been hunting for that Torchwick person, or searching for White Fang hideouts?"

"We've slept most," Weiss revealed.

"Yeah, we were beat. Some downtime was really great," Ruby agreed.

"We're going to be getting back to it real soon, though," Blake insisted, scowling at her teammates.

"Yeah, yeah, don't sweat it, Blake. You needed the rest, too. Just admit it," Yang insisted.

"Maybe, but we've had all the downtime we need. It's time to start hunting for Torchwick again," the Faunus insisted.

"Yes, and Sun and his friend Neptune are going to help, too," Weiss added.

"Yeah, and aren't you pleased about that," Yang teased her friend.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," the heiress snapped, folding her arms and sticking her nose in the air.

"I almost feel sorry for this Neptune guy. Perhaps we should warn him?" Jaune whispered to Pyrrha, who just giggled.

"I heard that, Jaune Arc! And just why exactly does Neptune need to be warned?" Weiss demanded in an angry tone.

"Err, 'cos you come over as a little overbearing?" Jaune replied meekly.

"You do, actually," Yang agreed. "I mean, that poor guy is going to be under your heel from day one."

"You're bound to want to mould him into your perfect image of what a man should be," Blake added. "You'll be looking for things to change and correct as soon as you start getting to know him."

"He'll be a different person within months if you get your claws into him," Yang confirmed.

"You can be a bit pushy," Ruby noted.

"Oh, Gods, yes! I bet that within a week Weiss will have him dressed completely differently, he won't be able to hang with his friends anymore, and he'll be speaking with perfect intonation and grammar. Hey, we really should warn the guy!" Nora cried.

"Will you all shut up!" Weiss raged. "I would never do that!"

Seven pairs of eyes stared at the white-haired girl in disbelief.

"Well… I might try and smarten him up, a bit. What's wrong with trying to encourage your boyfriend to improve? Not that he's my boyfriend, or that I have any designs on that happening. Not at all," Weiss spluttered.

"I think if you enter a relationship immediately thinking that you have to change things about your partner, then maybe your reasons for being in that relationship are wrong," Pyrrha suggested. "There's absolutely nothing wrong for wanting that person to improve themselves, but only if that's what they want, too. You can't just impose your ideas on what makes a perfect boyfriend on them and expect them to be happy."

"I couldn't have said it better," Jaune agreed.

"Oh, you would say that, Pyrrha. You were head over heels for Jaune the second you laid eyes on him, despite his numerous personality defects and questionable habits," Weiss snapped.

"Hey!" Jaune protested.

Pyrrha rose slowly from her seat, her green eyes positively glowing with anger.

"What did you say, Schnee? Are you trying to pick a fight with me?" the tall red-head demanded.

"Oh, don't get me wrong, Arc is nice enough, but you've been working away at him from the moment you met him, trying to ensnare him with your womanly wiles and your over-sized chest! Don't start having a go at me when you're doing the exact same thing yourself!" Weiss raged.

"Why you…" Pyrrha growled, reaching for her weapon.

"I got this!" Nora cried.

A second later, a pie, probably of the banana cream variety, came sailing through the air and hit Weiss square in the face. For a moment, the whole cafeteria, who had heard the raised voices and had stopped eating to observe what was going on, let out a collective gasp. Silence descended for the moment, as it seemed everyone was too afraid to move.

"Food fight!" Yang suddenly bellowed, throwing her omelette at Nora.

In the blink of an eye, the whole room shifted from a scene of tranquillity, to all-out war, as foodstuffs started being thrown in all directions. Some of the smarter pupils instantly began to run towards the exits, while others just started using whatever was on their plates as weapons.

Jaune glanced at Pyrrha, who was still standing transfixed, her hand half-way towards her weapon. She returned his look with bewilderment plastered all over her face.

"Come on, this was inevitable," he said with a shrug. A moment later, a tomato exploded against the side of his head, covering him in red mush. He looked up at Pyrrha again with a resigned expression. "Shall we?"

A smile slowly began to form. "Let's," she agreed.

The two of them began to grab whatever foodstuffs they could get their hands on and started to throw them at Team RWBY with deadly accuracy. And if they concentrated their fire at a certain small girl dressed in white, no one could really blame them.

"Shameful! All of you ought to be ashamed of yourselves!"

Jaune hunkered down and tried to crawl inside his armour. Anywhere that was out of the intense glare of Glenda Goodwitch would have been desirable at that exact moment.

"Now, now, Glenda, let's not blow this out of proportion. After all, you've already repaired all the damage to the school with no noticeable effect, haven't you?" Ozpin pointed out, for some reason willing to defend his food-throwing pupils in the face of his deputy head's wrath.

"That is beside the point," the woman in question raged. "They are training to be professional warriors that the world will rely on to defend them. They are not supposed to act like a bunch of teething toddlers throwing their food around."

"Glenda, I really don't think…" the headmaster began.

"And you!" Goodwitch snapped, pointing an accusing finger directly at Jaune. "I expected better of you! You're a team leader and have aspirations to become a knight. Do you really think this sort of behaviour is acceptable? Well, what have you got to say for yourself?"

"Err… sorry?" Jaune mumbled, deeply unhappy to have been singled out.

"All the time and effort I have put into turning you into a great warrior, and this is how I'm rewarded. I might have expected this from some of the others involved in this… incident," Goodwitch growled, casting an evil glance at both Yang and Nora, before rounding on Jaune again. "But you! You, at least, I would have thought would have more common sense than to involve themselves in this childishness. Do we have to rethink your position as team leader?"

"Glenda, I really do think you're overreacting to this," Ozpin insisted, having finally managed to get a word in edgeways. "Remember, they are just teenagers, and they will occasionally act like it, not unreasonably. Besides, I could name numerous experienced and highly qualified Huntsmen who would have joyously joined in this altercation if they had come upon it. I'm sure you could add a few names, too."

For some reason, after hearing this Goodwitch glared angrily at Ruby and Yang, who both hid behind their rather sickly grins.

"While that is true, headmaster, and I do acknowledge that trainee Huntsmen occasionally have to blow off a little steam, the fact remains that a small mountain of food has been wasted. That all costs money, in case you'd forgotten. I wonder if you'll still be maintaining this cavalier attitude when it comes time to balance the school's books?"

"I'm more than willing to pay for my team's share of the damages," Weiss declared, leaping to her feet.

"And I for mine!" Pyrrha added quickly.

"While I'm gratified that you should make the offer, I feel that you and your teams wouldn't learn the error of your ways if I permitted such a thing to happen," Goodwitch replied, her arms folded across her chest and her mouth set into a hard line. "No, instead I think both teams will work off the cost of the food you ruined. Starting from tomorrow, I will be drawing up a schedule of work duties for you, including such tasks as clearing the school grounds, working in the kitchens, and maintaining the gardens. As I recall, it's been some time since the fountain out front has been drained and cleaned. That sounds like a suitable task for you all, seeing how you seem to have a liking for getting messy."

"Yes, professor," they all replied glumly. Weiss, in particular, seemed horrified by the idea of getting her hands dirty.

"That seems like a suitable resolution to the situation," the headmaster agreed, traitorously. "Oh, and while I have you here, can I ask that both Miss Nikos and Mister Arc come to my office in, say, half an hour? There is a matter I'd like to discuss with both of you."

"Ooh, been caught doing something you shouldn't ought to be doing?" Yang teased.

Jaune and Pyrrha looked at each other in confusion. He had absolutely no idea why they had both been summoned to the headmaster's office, but coming so soon after his mother's warning lecture, it wasn't a welcome occurrence.

Deep in his gut, Jaune got the feeling that something was about to happen that he wasn't going to like.


	5. Chapter 5 – Choices

**Chapter 5 – Choices **

Another chapter, this one featuring all manner of intrigue, not to mention some sexual harassment on Yang's part, and a rare Ted Nugent reference (even if the bloke is a massive cock, he still made some good music in the 70's).

Huge, wobbly thanks to Arnel for her sterling beta work on this and other chapters!

* * *

The elevator trip up to the headmaster's office was just as nerve-wracking for Jaune as it had been the first time, but at least this time he had some company. Beside him, Pyrrha shifted uncomfortably, clearly as uneasy as he was. Why were they both being summoned to the headmaster's domain?

"So, what do you think this is all about?" Jaune asked his partner in what he hoped was a casual manner.

"I'm not sure," she admitted. "Perhaps it has something to do with the upcoming Vytal Tournament?"

The tournament? Of course! That was bound to be what Ozpin wanted to discuss. Pyrrha, as a tournament champion herself, was bound to be involved in some form. As for himself, perhaps the headmaster wanted to talk about his rapidly-forming Semblance, and how he needed to restrict it during combat, lest anyone got hurt? That was probably it, he decided.

With that revelation, Jaune was feeling a lot calmer when the elevator doors opened to reveal the headmaster's office in all its clockwork glory. He heard Pyrrha gasp, and he remembered that this was her first time visiting the odd room.

"Ah, Miss Nikos, Mister Arc. Punctual as ever, I see. Please, come in and take a seat," Ozpin called from his own chair behind his large desk. The two young warriors did as they were bid, and were soon seated in front of the headmaster, looking at him expectantly.

"You wanted to see us, sir?" Jaune enquired.

"I did indeed. Firstly, let me assure you that this has nothing to do with that little incident earlier. I believe Professor Goodwitch has dealt with the matter adequately, so I have no need to chastise you further."

"Yes, we're truly sorry about the mess and the wasted food," Pyrrha said apologetically.

"No matter," Ozpin said dismissively. "As our good deputy headmistress noted herself, occasionally it's necessary to blow off a little steam."

"Then why are we being made to act as unpaid labourers for the next four weeks," Jaune asked sourly.

Ozpin chuckled. "I'm afraid the sins of your father have rather come back to haunt you, Mister Arc. Luc Arc was not averse to starting the odd food fight himself, and that was always a trait that Glenda always found immensely frustrating. I believe she had hoped that this habit had skipped a generation, hence her extreme reaction when she discovered it had not."

"So, I'm getting punished for something my old man did? Just great," Jaune muttered.

"It does sound like something your father would do," Pyrrha noted with a smile on her face.

"Oh, yes, I meant to ask how Team JNPR's visit to the Arc household went," Ozpin queried. "Judging by my past experiences with the Arc family, I'm sure it was eventful."

"We all had a simply splendid time, thank you," Pyrrha replied, positively beaming. "I know I speak for Ren and Nora when I say that Jaune's family couldn't have been any more hospitable. They really made us feel so welcome, almost like we were part of the family, too."

"I'm really not surprised. I can't claim to know either Luc or Symphony Arc desperately well, but they have always struck me as warm and welcoming people. Loyalty was always Luc's greatest strength, and I'm sure it was second nature for him to consider his son's teammates to part of the family."

"Yeah, your team is your family. That's one of his favourite phrases," Jaune admitted.

"You are immensely lucky to have parents such as them, Mister Arc. Certainly, as I'm sure you are aware, not everyone is so blessed," the headmaster noted. "Still, family can show love and loyalty in the strangest of ways sometimes. I don't know if either of you are particularly religious, but one of my favourite tales if that of the two brother Gods who, according to legend, created Remnant. Are you aware of that story?"

"I'm familiar with it," Pyrrha admitted. "The story states that although they were brothers, they were essentially complete opposites. One of them revelled in conflict and destruction, while the other loved tranquillity and creation. They were said to have fought each other for centuries, until they realised that their conflict threatened to destroy the world. It was in their final battle that the moon was shattered, and that made them realise how close they had come to smashing Remnant to pieces. They then agreed to put aside their differences, and leave this world to explore the galaxy together."

"Hmm, it seems that the Mistral version of this story is somewhat different to the one I am familiar with," Ozpin admitted. "For instance, in the tale I know the warlike brother, who is the youngest of the pair, actually created the Grimm. Likewise, when they finally did crease their fighting they decided to create one final thing to place on Remnant, their grand masterpiece, if you will, mankind."

"I've not heard this version," Pyrrha confirmed.

"Ah, how odd. To me, this fact is the single most important part of the whole tale. You see, that fact that they created humans, creatures that shared both the brothers' characteristics in that they could be both warlike and peace-loving, showed that deep down both these Gods loved this world. I have heard some versions of this story that depicted the younger brother as a mad demon, intent on destroying everything. The fact that he aided in the creation of mankind surely shows that he was not."

"I'm not sure that our version actually depicts either of the Gods as good or bad, they were just opposite sides of the same coin. A kind of Ying and Yang relationship, contrary but interconnected," Pyrrha suggested.

"A very good way to put it," Ozpin agreed. "I suspect the younger brother believed that progress could only be obtained through conflict. That the greatest strides humanity have made have always been forced upon us by the necessity of war. It is not an opinion that I personally subscribe to."

"You believe the other, older brother was right?" Pyrrha asked.

"I do indeed. Surely it is the role of the Gods to nurture and educate us. This just seems logical to me. The wise should pass on their wisdom to others, otherwise what is the point of wisdom in the first place? This, in many ways, was why I chose to become a teacher. I believed I had knowledge that I could pass on to others, that would genuinely help the world."

"That's very commendable," Pyrrha said.

"Thank you, Miss Nikos, although I feel making the world a better place is its own reward. I dream of a day when mankind can live in peace without fear of the creatures of Grimm. This, sadly, is a very distant dream, but one that I fervently hope will one day come to pass."

"So do I," Jaune agreed.

"Naturally, Mister Arc, or you would not be here at this school," Ozpin noted with an approving smile. "Nevertheless, I believe the tale of the two brothers is a valuable one, in that it demonstrates how two people with the same goals can resort to wildly differing means to obtain said goal. There will be, I'm sure, people you encounter in your lives who will try to sway you to their method of doing things. I would tell you to listen to your hearts, and try to follow the path that you believe to be right. That, at the end of the day, is all any of us can do."

"Err, right," Jaune agreed hesitantly.

"Goodness gracious, look at the time," Ozpin exclaimed, pointing to a clock on the wall. "I have much to do, so I'll end this meeting now. Thank you both for coming, and keep up the good work. However, if you could both refrain from using foodstuffs as makeshift weapons…"

"It won't happen again, sir," Jaune confirmed.

"Splendid. Well, off you both toddle," Ozpin said by way of dismissal.

Jaune and Pyrrha both quickly stood and made their way back to the lift. As soon as the doors closed, they both turned and looked at each other in confusion.

"What the hell was that all about?" Jaune demanded. "Did he really summon us up here to spout off a load of half-forgotten, religious mumbo-jumbo?"

"It's actually quite a well-known tale back home," Pyrrha told him, "although why the headmaster felt the need to share it with us is another matter."

As they rode the elevator downwards, his mother's words started echoing through Jaune's head. Powerful people see the world differently to regular folks, and they generally have a reason behind everything they do, she had told him. The question was, therefore, what was Ozpin trying to tell them and why?

Jaune had a feeling something very significant had just happened, but what exactly that was, he couldn't even begin to guess at.

* * *

It was the next evening before Jaune had the opportunity to sneak away and find some privacy. He chose the roof of his accommodation, a flat space which he and Pyrrha sometimes used for sparing practice. Once there, he pulled out his Scroll and dialled home.

"Hello, Jaune, is that you, son?" he heard his father's voice say in greeting.

"Yeah, Dad, it's me. How you doing?"

"Pretty well in the few days it's been since I last saw you," Luc Arc noted. "Normally you go weeks without calling. Did something bad happen?"

"Nah, nothing like that. I just want to talk to Mom about something."

"Your mother? Umm, yeah, she's just outside. Give me a second and I'll go find her."

There was a pause of about two minutes before his mother's voice came over the Scroll.

"Jaune? Well, this is a nice surprise. I was guessing it would be a month at least before I heard from you."

"Hey, I'm not that bad at staying in contact," Jaune protested. "Anyway, I kind of want to talk to you about that conversation we had just before I returned to Beacon. You know, about Professor Ozpin."

"Hold on."

There was another long pause, and the absolute silence suggested the Scroll had been placed on mute. As the seconds ticked by, Jaune became more suspicious of the long quiet. He was just about to hang up and try dialling again when his mother returned.

"Sorry about that, sweetheart, I just didn't want your father to overhear anything."

"You didn't?" Jaune asked in surprise. "Why not?"

"Let's put it this way, I think your father is too trusting of Ozpin. We've had a few rows in the past when I've dared to suggest the man is anything other than a paragon of virtue. Besides, I have… other reasons for not wanting to drag your father into this. Now, what is it that you want to talk about?"

Jaune frowned, suddenly suspicious of his mother's behaviour. She'd always been a rather enigmatic woman, but she's never acted this strange before.

"Umm, well, shortly after we got back here, Professor Ozpin called Pyrrha and me into his office. He didn't really seem to actually want anything, other than ask Pyrrha how her visit went and to tell us some crazy old story."

"Crazy old story? What story?" Sy Arc demanded.

"Oh, some old religious tale about two brother Gods who created Remnant and then agreed to leave because they were afraid their fighting might destroy the world. Pyrrha had heard of the story in a slightly different version."

"Hmm, I'm not surprised. Mistral often has different interpretations of religious text," She pondered. "Look, Jaune, this is serious. I really hadn't expected Ozpin to do this so early. I had expected that he would wait until the pair of you were in your second or third years, at least. You need to be careful."

"What? Why?" he demanded.

"Because he is trying to recruit you and Pyrrha. The tale of the two brother Gods is the very linchpin of his beliefs. I had expected the old man to gradually try to induct you into his way of thinking, but it looks like he's cutting to the chase early."

"I'm not sure I understand," Jaune admitted.

"Look, I'm sure it doesn't take a genius to figure out which side of the argument Ozpin is on. He's a believer in the God of Light, a benign and kind being, who gifted us with creation and knowledge. That is who the man worships, and he would have us all do the same."

"Okay," Jaune said slowly, "I get that. But what's so terrible about the idea? This God of Light sounds pretty great. Certainly he's better than his brother, isn't he? After all, that bastard created the Grimm."

"It depends on your point of view," his mother replied. "Yes, the God of Light is a kind and caring type, but he's also controlling and judgemental. To worship him is to accept a complete lack of personal freedom and live by an endless set of rules. Trust me, if you want every tiny aspect of your life controlled, he's the God for you."

"But what about the other God? Surely he's worse," Jaune pointed out indignantly.

"Oh, undoubtedly. The God of Darkness revels in conflict and destruction. In fact, destruction is one of his gifts to the world. It's the other one that I think is more important, though; choice."

"Choice?"

"Yes, the exact opposite of the God of Light. Although all four gifts to the world were meant to be jointly given, it's very clear who gave what. The God of Light is an authoritarian God, while the God of Darkness believes in individualism and person choice. True, that amounts to be a desire for anarchy, but at least it grants some personal freedom."

"Mom… it almost sounds like you… you… worship this God of Darkness," Jaune announced in horror.

"What? Don't be an idiot," Sy Arc snapped. "Do you honestly think I'd ever worship a monster that created the Grimm after what happened to my darling Jade and Gabrielle? Jaune Arc, if I was there I'd give you the thrashing of your life!"

"I'm sorry," he said hurriedly, "but that was kinda what it sounded like."

"No, Jaune, I worship neither of these deities. The story said that they left this world to protect it, and that was extremely wise, in my opinion. Remnant doesn't need the help of Gods or suchlike. Mankind can make its own way in the world, and we should leave behind ancient deities and forgotten religions. We were given the gift of free will, and we should be left to exercise it as we see fit."

Jaune gulped, shocked at the resolve in his mother's voice. This was the woman who baked apple pies for him, and who nagged him about the length of his hair. Never before had he ever her heard her talk in such a manner, and especially about such an obscure subject.

"This… this is all a bit over my head," Jaune admitted.

"Nonsense, and other such comments," Sy scoffed. "Despite your apparent desire for it to appear otherwise, you are an intelligent young man. While I understand that what we're discussing is rather philosophical, I'm sure if you give it a moment's thought you'll understand where I'm coming from. This is the difference between the human race living in the dark ages and worshipping remote, uncaring Gods and us taking our destiny in our own hands. Do we live on our knees, or stand on our own two feet?"

"I'm really not sure how I fit into all this," Jaune grumbled.

"As I said, Ozpin has long since pledged his allegiance to the God of Light, and now he's trying to recruit you and that lovely Pyrrha girl to his cause. That old man has an eye for talent, and already has numerous skilled and deadly Huntsman marching to his orders. In fact, your father came preciously close to being one of them."

"Why didn't he?" Jaune asked in amazement.

"Quite simply, I refused to marry him if he did," his mother explained, a little smugly.

"Yep, that sounds like a typical male Arc; always doing what the women tell him to do," Jaune muttered.

"That's because most Arc men know what's good for them," his mother sniffed. "Anyway, back to the subject in hand, I don't think you need to be overly concerned at present. You and Pyrrha are still young, and I doubt Ozpin will be pressing the issue anytime soon. Just remember what we talked about before. Always follow your own instincts as to what is right and wrong. Follow your own heart, Jaune, and you won't go wrong."

"Okay. I guess that sounds simple enough," he agreed, if somewhat doubtfully.

"It will be some months before I see you again, I expect," Sy continued, "but when you come home next I think we'll have to have another little talk. There's things that I need to tell you which, I must confess, I thought I would be discussing with you a good ways off yet. Things seem to be happening a lot quicker than I was anticipating, and that makes me worried. Keep your head down, sweetheart, and keep your friends close. I don't know what's going to happen, but I have a bad feeling that events are going to take a turn for the worst."

"Gee, Mom, thanks for cheering me up. I do always so enjoy our little talks," Jaune griped.

He heard his mother snort at the other end of the line. "Son, I'm here to look after you and make sure you're safe, and I'm not going to do that by wrapping this all up in cotton wool. You've grown into a wonderful young man, Jaune, and I'm proud of you. I also have faith in you to do the right things, and to look after yourself and your friends."

"Thanks, Mom," he said, feeling a lump in his throat. Did she really have that much faith in him?

"Now, I have to go. I'm sure your father will want to interrogate me about this conversation. Say hello to the rest of your team for me, Jaune, and tell them I'm looking forward to their next visit."

"Will do, Mom. I love you."

"I love you, too, sweetheart. Bye."

The line went dead. Almost reluctantly, Jaune lowered the Scroll from his ear and stared at the blank screen. Somehow, events seemed to be unfolding at a rapid pace around him, and he wasn't sure where he fit in anymore. Ancient Gods? Recruitment into some secret religious army? His mother apparently up to her neck in it all? Nothing at that moment seemed to make a lot of sense.

"Ah, there you are!"

So wrapped up in his thoughts was he, that he hadn't heard the door to the roof space open and Pyrrha step through. He looked up to see her walking towards him, a gentle smile on her lips.

"Oh, hi, Pyrrha. Were you looking for me for something?"

"Not especially, we were just worried that you'd been gone a long time and we didn't know where you were," she revealed, coming to sit down next to him. "What are you doing?"

"I wanted to phone home, actually. I had a talk with Mom about the conversation we had with Ozpin," Jaune explained.

"Oh, really? What did she tell you?" Pyrrha asked, evidently very interested in what the Arc matriarch had to say.

"Basically, that she's convinced that Ozpin is some kind of devotee of that God of Light that he mentioned in his story, and that he's trying to recruit the pair of us into some sort of cult that follows this god."

"Well… that doesn't sound too bad, does it?" she replied hesitantly. "I mean, everyone prefers the light to the darkness, right?"

"The way my mom sees it, both sides are wrong. She seems to think the gods in those stories left Remnant for a reason and that we should accept that. Mom is very much of the opinion that we don't need holy deities ruling over us and that mankind should make its own choices."

"I can accept that point of view, too," the tall redhead admitted. "Still, this group the headmaster leads, it can't be anything particularly serious, can it? Remnant has been at peace since the end of the Great War. What can they be doing, exactly? Praying? Singing hymns?"

"The way my mother describes it, they are some sort of religious army," Jaune explained. "Oh, and Pyrrha? I really don't appreciate the idea that we've been at peace since the end of the war. We're losing people every day out there, thanks to the Grimm."

"Oh, that was insensitive of me!" Pyrrha cried. "I'm so sorry, Jaune, I just didn't think. I mean, I lost my father, too. I guess what I meant to say was that there hadn't been any large-scale, religious or politically motivated conflict. There will aways be bandits and the Grimm, I'm afraid."

"Maybe, maybe not," Jaune said, staring off into the night sky. "I certainly dream of a day when we're free of the Grimm. I'm just not sure that the way we're going about things is going to achieve that. I mean, look at Vale. We depend upon a handful of Hunters and Huntresses, and barely even have an army. In fact, Atlas is the only nation that really maintains a sizable military. To destroy the Grimm once and for all we'd need to mobilise all the nations and mount a crusade against them. That way we might actually achieve something."

"Do you really think that would actually happen?" Pyrrha asked sadly. "I know it's been nearly eighty years since the war ended, but can you really see all the nations uniting in that manner? Even now, there are people all around the world who would rather fight each other than the Grimm, and that's not even taking the Faunus issue into account."

"You're probably right," he agreed with a sigh. "Sometimes I think mankind actually deserves to be wiped out."

"You don't mean that," she shot accusingly.

"Nah, I guess not," he agreed. "It's just… I don't know. I grew up wanting to be some heroic knight dressed in white, battling monsters and winning the hand of fair maidens. Now, I'm not even sure which side I'm supposed to be fighting for. Not all the monsters in the world are Grimm."

"Maybe not, but I think you're doing a splendid job, anyway," she said encouragingly, "and who knows, you might win the hand of that maiden yet… whoever she might be."

Jaune turned to look at her. Pyrrha's large, emerald eyes seemed to be actually shinning in the moonlight, and her pale skin positively glowed. Not for the first time, he was struck at how genuinely beautiful his partner was. Was his father right? Should he take the gamble that this remarkable woman actually had feelings for him?

"What maiden in her right mind would have anything to do with a goofball like me?" he asked glibly. To his surprise, Pyrrha just leaned into him and laid her head on his shoulder.

"You'd be surprised," she whispered.

Almost automatically, Jaune tilted his head slightly so his head rested lightly against hers. Suddenly, as they both sat under the shattered moon watching the stars twinkle above them, the problems of the world didn't seem too pressing.

* * *

"Well, this boring," Ruby grumbled, petulantly tossing another freshly peeled potato into the large pile they had already removed the skin from.

"You're telling me," Jaune agreed, picking up another spud to work on.

The tasks that Goodwitch had set the two teams had been varied, but almost universally monotonous. Tonight, he and Ruby had pulled kitchen duties, preparing vegetables for use the next day. Although tedious work, Jaune had to admit he would rather be doing this than cleaning the main building as Yang, Blake, Ren and Nora were doing, or working in the school grounds like Pyrrha and Weiss were doing. At least he got to sit down while working.

"So, how are things with your team?" Jaune asked, trying to get a conversation going to alleviate the boredom.

"Okay, I guess," the little reaper replied grudgingly.

"Are you still having trouble with Weiss?" he pressed.

"Nah, that's all in the past. Weiss is like one of my best friends now," Ruby revealed. "The problems we're having now is with Blake. She's practically chomping at the bit, wanting to go after Torchwick and the White Fang. We were going to start hunting him down, but with all these detentions we've just not had time. I'm seriously worried that Blake is just going to up and leave school 'cos she's so frustrated."

"That's dumb," Jaune snorted. "What does she think she can do by herself even if she finds the guy, assuming that ever happens with just her looking? I know it's annoying, but we're nearly done with our punishments. Blake can hold on another week, can't she?"

"I dunno. She's acting pretty weird at the moment. We're all worried about her, especially Yang. They're meant to be partners, but Blake is hardly talking to her. I mean, I know Blake doesn't talk much anyway, but now she barely says a word. She's always angry, too. She blew up at Goodwitch yesterday. I thought she was going to get extra detentions for mouthing off to a teacher, but Goodwitch just gave her a dressing down. Blake got lucky."

"Sounds like it. Mind you, Glenda isn't the ogre she's made out to be sometimes. I bet she realised Blake is under a lot of stress right now."

"Glenda?" Ruby repeated. "Since when did you start calling a teacher by her first name?"

"Oh, I… um… so, what are going to do about Blake?" Jaune spluttered, desperately avoiding the subject.

"Oh, I'm not sure. I was actually going to meet up with Weiss later to talk about it. Strangely, Yang's less worried. She seems to think she can talk some sense into Blake, but I'm not so sure."

"Perhaps you should let your sister try it her way before you do anything radical. I mean, Yang can be very persuasive when she wants to be," Jaune mused.

"I guess so," Ruby agreed reluctantly. "Oh, gee, how many more of these stupid potatoes are there left to peel? I don't even like the damn things, anyway."

"What do you mean? You eat fries all the time," Jaune pointed out.

"Fries are made from potato?" Ruby exclaimed.

"Never mind," Jaune sighed. "Hey, I guess I should just be glad that you haven't tried to use Crescent Rose to slice these things up."

An excited looked instantly appeared on the young girl's face.

"Ruby, no! No, look I said…. Ruby…. NO!"

* * *

It was some time later when Jaune gratefully made his way back to his room. Personally, he was counting himself lucky that he had all his limbs intact after he'd planted that stupid idea in Ruby's head. Why had she even brought her weapon to the kitchen was a mystery, anyway.

The silver-eyed girl in question had hurried off to her meeting with Weiss, leaving Jaune alone with his thoughts. This term had certainly not gotten off to a flyer so far, and he was beginning to wonder what else could happen in the coming months. So wrapped up in thought was he that he failed to notice a figure stealthily creep up behind him.

"Gah!" Jaune shrieked, leaping three feet in the air as from out of nowhere he received a stinging slap on his backside. Without turning, he growled, "Yang, cut it out."

"Aw, how did you know it was me?" the blonde bombshell asked, as she strode into view.

"Who else slaps me across my butt in greeting?" he grumbled.

"Most boys would enjoy it," Yang pointed out. "Was I being too rough to your sweet little tushie?"

"You're always too rough with my sweet little… I mean, my behind," Jaune replied. "Honestly, Yang, why do you insist on sexually harassing me all the time? I thought you did it just to wind up Pyrrha, but lately you've been doing it while she's not around."

"Just making sure you know you have other options than just old red, you know," Yang purred. "I mean, whatever that girl has I have more of, in nicer packaging, too!"

Jaune looked at the blonde girl in exasperation. Honestly, he had no idea what went on in that girl's head half the time. She'd claimed to be interested in him, but had never once made any real effort to get to know him. Indeed, if he was to guess, he would have thought that Yang just did it to embarrass him. At least, that's what Jaune's sister Rose had thought when he'd described the problem to her. She'd also suggested a solution, too, if he had the balls to go through with it.

Damn it, he thought, I'm supposed to be a Huntsman in training. I know no fear!

"You know, Pyrrha and I aren't actually a couple," he began, edging forward slightly so he stood toe-to-toe with the busty girl. "I am still on the market, you know."

"Really?" Yang noted with smirk. Her smile faltered slightly as Jaune took another step forward, so they were actually touching. Involuntarily, she took a step back, only to find her back to the wall.

"Yeah, I mean, maybe I should take some of the opportunities given to me. After all, Yang, you are one hot lady, if you know what I mean."

"You'd better believe it," she agreed, although her bravado seemed a little forced.

"I know in the past you've said you like guys with scars, but you haven't even seen all my scars, Yang. Perhaps we could go somewhere private so I could show them all to you."

"Really?" she gulped, her violet eyes wide with surprise at Jaune's sudden change in behaviour. Her eyes practically bulged out of her head when he placed his right hand on her hip, gently caressing her through her skirt.

"Hey, now, Jaune, I don't remember giving you permission to start handling the goods…" she began.

"Oh, come on. You've been hands on with me practically since we started at this school," he scoffed. "I know what it means when a girl starts acting like that. Don't worry, Yang, I feel the same. I have the same… urges."

"Urges?"

"Yeah, or perhaps 'needs' are a better word for them," he said silkily, letting his face get closer and closer to hers. "I have needs, Yang, and evidently so do you. Why don't we find a nice, quiet room somewhere and satisfy those needs… together."

"Now, hold up a second here, Arc, I think you might have the wrong idea…"

"Oh, no. I have exactly the right idea," he whispered, his lips now only inches away from hers. "I'm going to rock your world, Yang Xiao Long. I'm going to make you scream my name and beg me for more!"

"I…"

"You and me are going to set the night on fire," he breathed, before leaning over and lightly licking her earlobe.

"Aaaaggghhh! Get off me, you pervert!" Yang screamed, pushing him forcefully back. With her fists raised, she stepped forward, fully preparing to pummel the living crap out of the boy, before she stopped dead. Rather than being angry or upset, Jaune was laughing his head off.

"Don't like it when someone turns the tables on you, do you?" he challenged, while gasping for breath. "Oh, you should have seen your face!"

"Why… you… you… bastard!" she raged. "How dare you do that to me?"

"Hey, you've been doing the same thing to me for weeks," he pointed out. "What's the matter, Yang? You can dish it out but you can't take it?"

Yang glared at him for a moment, before she let her fists unclench and she sighed. Perhaps she had been taking her teasing a little too far.

"Okay, I admit, you got me," she admitted. "Damn, just for a second there…"

"Oh yeah. I'm really going to tell some hot girl like you that I'm going to make her scream my name," he said with a smirk. "Come on, do you really believe I'd come up with some cheesy crap like that?"

"Yeah, actually, I would," she retaliated playfully. "Come on, you're absolutely useless with girls, so coming out with something that stupid is well within your capabilities."

"Thanks," he said sourly.

"Come on, Arc. You're tall, handsome, obviously skilled in combat and have the kind of personality that people want to follow you," Yang pointed out. "You've already got Pyrrha practically panting like a dog in heat over you, and she's not the only one, I can tell you. Yet, as you pointed out, you're still single. Man, if you were a little bit more assertive with the female population here you'd be up to your neck in wang dang sweet poontang."

Jaune actually snorted in laughter at that.

"You always do have this unique way of describing things," he noted, shaking his head.

"I'm serious, you know. Hell, why do you think I go out of my way to tease you so much? I'm not sure we're actually that compatible or would make a very good couple, but I do like you, Jaune. You're a great guy and you're easy on the eye."

"Thanks," he mumbled, suddenly embarrassed.

"Jeez, look at you! You'll happily charge into a snarling pack of Grimm, or attack a mob of White Fang members single handed, but if a girl is a bit forward with you, you go to pieces. No wonder poor Nikos is so frustrated! Honestly, Jaune, you should just go and bang her a few times and put her out of her misery."

"Yang!" Jaune protested.

Yang doubled over in laughter at his outraged expression, until the sound of approaching footsteps made them both look around. Coming down the corridor towards them were three people, all wearing an unfamiliar uniform. Jaune looked at them in puzzlement, wondering how they were and why they were prowling the accommodation block.

"Oh, sorry, were we disturbing something?" the dark-haired girl leading the other two asked. Her amber eyes seemed to be flashing with amusement.

"Nah, nothing important," Yang replied. "I don't think I've seen you around here before and I don't recognise the outfit. You guys here for the tournament?"

"That's right," the girl replied smoothly. "We're here representing Haven Academy."

"Hey, great!" Yang exclaimed happily. "My name's Yang and this guy is Jaune. Our two teams will be competing in the tournament, too."

"Really? Well, I'm pleased to meet you, Yang. My name is Cinder, and my associates here are Emerald and Mercury."

"Pleased to meet you," Jaune said, holding up a hand in greeting. He was actually a little jealous of Yang's easy way with complete strangers. He always felt so awkward.

"Likewise," Cinder said with a slight tilt of her head. "May I ask, what teams are you members of?"

"I'm part of Team RWBY; the hottest, most ass-kicking quartet of babes in the whole of Beacon. Jaune is actually is the leader of Team JNPR. They're pretty badass, too, plus they've got Pyrrha Nikos in their ranks. Being from Haven, I expect you've heard of her."

"Oh, the Invincible Girl, I certain have," Cinder confirmed.

"Please, if you meet her, don't call her that," Jaune begged. "Pyrrha really hates people fawning over her. Just treat her as a regular person, that's all I'm asking."

"Indeed? Well, I do hope to make Miss Nikos's acquaintance some time. I'd like to stay and chat with the pair of you more, too, but we have to be somewhere. Nice meeting you."

"Oh, the visitors accommodation is in the west wing," Yang called as the three visitors walked past her. "You need to go back the way you came, go down the stairs at the end, and…"

"We must have got turned around," Cinder called out, cutting her off. "Don't worry, we'll find our way."

"Laters," the boy called Mercury yelled, giving them as a casual wave as he and his friends continued in the direction they had been heading.

"Well, they're going to get lost," Yang snorted in amusement.

"Don't you think those three were kind of, I dunno, creepy?" Jaune asked after the visitors had disappeared out of sight.

"Nah, they were cool," Yang shrugged. "You've just got a downer on them because they'll be our completion in the tournament."

"Team SSSN will be our opponents, too, but I like those guys just fine," Jaune muttered darkly.

"Oh, don't be paranoid," the blonde chastised him. "What do you think they are, a bunch of murderous villains in disguise? Give me a break!"

Jaune said nothing, but was left with an uneasy feeling. He'd been worried earlier that something else bad was going to happen, and he had a hunch that whatever that was, it had just happened.


	6. Chapter 6 – Infiltration

**Chapter 6 – Infiltration **

Greetings! Another week, another chapter. This one moves Jaune's powers along nicely, while also proving the set up for that most important of season 2 events – the dance. No slobbering over Ms. Schnee for this version of our favourite knight (even if he does need a little help from a certain person).

For the first time ever, this chapter has been beta read by the lovely (ex-) Mrs. Brennus. Any remaining errors are mine and mine alone. Oh, and using British spellings does not constitute errors, btw!

* * *

Gritting his teeth, Jaune held his shield out in front of him but left his sword hanging limply by his side. This, after all, was not a task for an edged weapon.

"Are you ready?" Goodwitch asked.

"Yeah, let's do this," he growled, shifting his weight to his back foot and preparing to launch himself forward.

"Very well… go!"

The professor's voice was like the crack of a whip across his back, as Jaune let out a scream of rage and sprinted forward. He continued to bellow his wordless battle cry as he ran as fast as his legs would carry him… straight towards a brick wall.

He'd been determined to keep his eyes open as long as possible, but milliseconds before his shield impacted with the solid wall he squeezed them shut. Not that it mattered, all his concentration was going into pumping his Aura into his left arm. He didn't need to see to do that.

The impact was thunderous. He felt the blow nearly rip his arm from its socket, and the sound was like a massive Dust explosion detonating in his ear. For just a moment, he felt his forward momentum hindered, but the resistance disappeared so quickly he thought he might have imagined it. Instead, he found himself overextending and beginning to topple forward. His eyes flew open, but all he could see was a blizzard of dust and debris. Stumbling, he just managed to prevent himself from tumbling to the ground, only for his ankle to twist on a half-smashed brick, and for him to begin to fall.

Knowing trying to regain his balance was futile, Jaune pulled his shield close to his body and bent at the waist. With his current forward momentum, he began to flip in the air with the result that he was nearly completely upside-down when he made contact with the ground. His impetus carried him forward, and he ended up performing a reasonably professional looking roll. With only the slightest wobble, he managed to end up in a crouch with his shield at the ready.

"Oh, yeah, who's the daddy?" he muttered with fierce satisfaction.

Glancing behind him, Jaune was delighted to see that he'd blown a four-foot section of the sturdy wall clean away, with bricks and dust scattered in all directions for at least ten yards.

"Well done, Jaune, very well done indeed!"

Rising to his feet, Jaune turned and saw Goodwitch emerging through the dust, a look of pride on her face. As soon as he saw her expression, he felt an immense amount of pride swell within him. It was only slightly strange that one good word from Glenda Goodwitch was worth hundreds from his friends or family, even from Pyrrha. This was a woman who worked to the highest of standards and expected the same from all she taught. For the first time since they'd started training together, he felt that he was at last living up to her expectations.

"Thank you, ma'am."

"I confess, I wasn't certain this would work, but that was extremely impressive," the blonde woman continued. "Did you find it much of a strain on your Aura?"

"No, I feel fine," he admitted.

"Remarkable," she muttered, before looking him straight in the eye. "You do realise what an advantage this will give you in the coming Vytal Tournament, don't you? If you plan this right, you could act like a bulldozer for your team, blasting away your opponent's defences and allowing your comrades to attack at will."

"Yeah, I was already thinking along those lines," he revealed. "Pyrrha and I have already been working on defensive tactics where we shield Ren and Nora while they provide cover fire. With this new skill, I think I can actually protect all three of them, allowing Pyrrha to use her rifle, or perhaps to be right at my shoulder ready to launch a lightning attack as soon as I blast through."

"That all sounds extremely promising. I will be expecting great things from you and your team, Jaune."

"We'll try our best," he promised.

"Good. Now, I'd better clean up this mess," Goodwitch declared, looking at the rubble-strewn floor. A few flicks of her riding whip and the room was again spotless.

"That's a pretty cool Semblance you have," Jaune gushed, watching her admiringly.

"It certainly comes in useful, but I have to combine it with Dust for it to really become useful, particularly in a combat situation," she admitted.

This made him think. "Do you think I should try using Dust more?" he asked. "I mean, at the moment my ranged attack is quite weak. All I can do is pretty much knock things over. If I started projecting my Aura while using Dust crystals or whatever, I might be able to do something a bit more impressive."

"That's actually a very good idea," she agreed. "Have a think about what you want to do and come prepared to our next session."

"I will," he promised, already mulling the idea over in his mind.

"Good, in that case, I'll see you next Tuesday, Jaune. Please try and stay out of trouble in the meantime."

"I will," he promised with a chuckle. As she turned to go, a thought suddenly popped into his head which demanded an immediate answer.

"Professor?" he called out. "Sorry, I don't mean to take up any more of your time, but I do have a question I wanted to ask. It's… it's about the headmaster."

"Really? What sort of question?" Goodwitch asked, turning to face him.

"You know how he asked me and Pyrrha to his office the other day? Well, when we got there all he did was tell us this story, a kind of legend, really, about two gods who battled for control over Remnant."

"Go on," Goodwitch said stiffly.

"The thing is, I've kinda heard these rumours that Professor Ozpin has this sort of group that fights on the side of the God of Light, and after I thought about it some, I got the feeling that he was trying to recruit Pyrrha and me into that group. I mean, I might just be being silly here…"

"No, you're not, and Ozpin isn't nearly as subtle as he thinks he is," Goodwitch sighed.

"So, this group actually exists? Are you a member of this group?" Jaune asked cautiously.

"It does, and I am," she confirmed, "although not for any religious or spiritual reasons."

"Okay," he said slowly, hoping she would elaborate. Fortunately, she did.

"Jaune, long forgotten tales of gods and demons mean very little to me," she explained. "Monsters already inhabit this world, and by becoming a Huntress I have already pledged my life to fighting them. However, there are other monsters other than Grimm, I'm afraid. Forces so terrible and powerful that they threaten our very way of life. This is what Ozpin's group has sworn to fight. Not some mythical deity, but living, breathing foes with dreadful powers."

"You said at the initiation that we were in a time of peace," he challenged.

"I lied," she calmly admitted. "Causing panic will only do one thing: summon the Grimm."

"Who are these foes?" Jaune demanded. "Are they something to do with the God of Darkness that the headmaster was talking about?"

"Probably, although their exact motivation, even their identities, are shrouded in mystery. Make no mistake, however, I am completely convinced such a threat exists. They are out there, Jaune, bidding their time, waiting to attack us."

Jaune stared at her for a moment, his mind reeling.

"Who else is in Ozpin's group?" he asked eventually.

"I can't tell you," Goodwitch replied calmly. "Just be aware that some powerful names are amongst them."

"So, you're in the group just because you believe there is evil out there that's a threat to us?" he asked. For some reason, the answer seemed important to him.

"Yes. Bad times are coming, Jaune, and we need to be ready."

Not knowing what else to say, and with a thousand conflicting thoughts running through his head, he offered his teacher the briefest of nods, before turning and heading back to his room.

* * *

It was a rather morose and downbeat Jaune who entered his team accommodation. As he walked in, he found his three teammates all clustered together, apparently in deep discussion. They greeted him as he joined the group.

"Did training go okay?" Pyrrha asked. "You look a little upset."

"No, I'm good, really. I just have a lot to think about," he replied truthfully.

"What did you do today?" Ren enquired. He was always first to ask the technical details of Jaune's extra training.

"Oh, I ran through a brick wall," Jaune responded flippantly. "So, what are you guys talking about?"

"Wait! What did you say? You ran through a brick wall?" Nora gasped.

"Yeah. I simply channelled a load of my Aura into my shield and charged. It worked out pretty well, actually. I was thinking we could incorporate it into our team tactics. You know, I could act like a bulldozer to breach other teams' defences and you guys could then pick them off. I bet that would be pretty sweet."

"Yeah, but even better… you could use it to break into the kitchens! We could get snacks anytime we wanted!" Nora screeched.

"Nora, don't you think they would notice a Jaune-sized hole in the kitchen wall?" he pointed out. "As I'm the only person I know who can do this, I'm guessing the teachers would figure out who was behind the crime pretty quickly."

"Humph. Okay, we'll reserve that technique for emergencies only, like when I'm super, super hungry," Nora agreed.

"You're always hungry," Ren noted.

"Yeah, but I'm not always super, super hungry, am I?" she replied. "At the moment I'm just normal hungry."

"Thank goodness for that," Jaune said, throwing the ginger-haired hammer wielder a candy bar from his personal stash. She cheered joyfully and ate the whole thing in one gulp. "So, as I was saying, what were you guys so deep in discussion about? I hope it's not my dress-sense again because, I tell you, there is nothing wrong with my t-shirt collection…"

"No, Jaune, we weren't discussing that, although I would personally burn half of what you own if I had my way," Pyrrha told him with a smirk. "No, we were discussing the upcoming dance."

"Dance?" he repeated dully. "What dance?"

"The upcoming dance being hosted by the school as part of the Vytal Festival," Ren informed him. "You should have got a message on your Scroll about it."

Hurriedly, Jaune pulled out his Scroll and found that he had eight unread messages. Three of them were from various sisters and one was from his mom, complaining that he hadn't called in a couple of days. Of the remaining four, two were from Pyrrha, one was a request from Nora that the team adopts a pet monkey, and the last was a notification from the school that a dance was to be held in approximately a week's time.

"Oh," he mumbled, not sure how he felt about the event with everything else going on.

"Yeah, we were just discussing who we want to take as our dates," Nora clarified, the wicked glint in her eyes going unnoticed by her team leader.

"Dates?" he squealed in a distinctly un-macho manner. "We have to take dates?"

"Well, it is a dance, Jaune," Pyrrha pointed out, purposely not looking directly at him. "It is usual to take a date."

"I… err… that is to say…" Jaune gabbled, a sense of panic rising in his gut.

Nora looked in turn at a slightly sad, blushing Pyrrha and a Jaune in the early stages of complete meltdown. With a frustrated sigh, she decided to take mercy on her teammates and become their personal guardian dating angel.

"So, I was thinking, it's a lot of bother trying to arrange a date, huh? Why don't we just go as a team instead?" Nora suggested. "Ren can escort me, and Jaune can escort Pyrrha. That would work, yeah?"

"I don't know," Jaune began. "I mean, Pyrrha might have someone in mind that she'd like to invite…"

"That sounds grand!" Pyrrha interrupted loudly, a note of desperation in her voice.

"Then that's settled," Nora declared triumphantly. "I'll go to the dance with Ren, and you two can go together. Perfect!"

"Umm, I guess," Jaune agreed uncertainly, "that is, if Pyrrha's happy with it."

"Yes, Jaune, I am. I'm delighted that you will be accompanying me," she confirmed, practically beaming.

"That was sneaky," Ren whispered into Nora's ear.

"Yeah, it was, wasn't it?" she agreed.

Ren said nothing but gave her hand a quick squeeze in approval.

* * *

Next morning, Teams RWBY and JNPR, with the addition of two members of Team SSSN, were gathered together to eat breakfast. With their detentions set by Professor Goodwitch now complete, the talk inevitably turned to Roman Torchwick and the White Fang.

"We've lost too much time already," Blake told the group. "We need to start getting our act together and finding this creep."

"Hey, chill, Blake," Sun urged. "We've got stuff planned, right? Besides, Neptune and I have already been scouting out some areas that the Fang might be hiding out in."

"Did you find anything?" Blake demanded.

"Well, no, but at least we've eliminated those areas from the search, right?"

"This is pathetic! We should be doing more. I mean, what are we doing now? Sitting around eating breakfast! We should be…"

"Blake," Jaune interrupted, "I don't think we should be talking about this stuff in public."

"I hardly think the White Fang have managed to infiltrate Beacon," Weiss scoffed.

"Maybe not, but you can't be certain of that," he replied calmly. "Besides, I'm more worried about the teaching staff's reaction than any spies."

"What do you mean? I hardly think any of the professors would be in league with that Torchwick fellow now, would they?" Weiss snapped irritably.

"No, that's not what I'm suggesting," he retorted, trying to keep a lid on his mounting anger. "What I mean is, I doubt the staff here would be terribly happy at the idea of some of their pupils basically starting their own private war against the White Fang. If they suspected any of us were trying to track down a dangerous criminal or investigate a terrorist group, they might be a little upset, don't you think?"

"He has a point," Ruby agreed. "Goodwitch was livid after we got involved in that fight at the docks, and we managed to pass that off as us just being in the wrong place at the wrong time. If she thinks we're going looking for trouble…"

"I don't care what she thinks," Blake snapped.

"You should," Sun insisted. "Hey, what happened to wanting a new life here? If the school staff get wind of what you're planning, you could be expelled or even arrested."

"You're lecturing me on proper behaviour?" Blake asked in disbelief.

"I'm just trying to look out for you," he replied softly. "I don't want to see you get in a heap of trouble when it can easily be avoided."

"He's right, Blake," Yang insisted. "We need to play this close to our chests. In school, we just act normally and keep our heads down. As soon as darkness falls, however, we become crime-busting, superheroes!"

"We have a free period after lunch. We'll all meet in our dorm room and discuss our next moves," Ruby decided, glaring at anyone who might disagree with her. Jaune couldn't help but feel the look of intimidation didn't really work for her.

"Okay, but we're getting this show on the road tonight, everyone got that?" Blake insisted.

"I didn't have anything better to do tonight, anyway," Yang said with a shrug.

"Oh yeah, the bad guys aren't going to know what hit them," Nora whooped, fortunately at a reasonably moderate volume.

"So, to get the conversation back on safer ground, I hear there's a dance in a few weeks," Sun commented in a deceptively bland tone. "I mean, it all sounds pretty lame, but a dance is a dance, right? Has everyone arranged dates yet? Blake, you got anyone lined up 'cos, you know, we'd make a pretty good pairing, I'm thinking."

"A dance? Do you think I've got time for…" the Faunus began angrily.

"She'd love to accompany you," Yang interrupted. "Just make sure you actually make some effort with the way you dress, right? Blake's a class act, and I don't want you embarrassing her by turning up dressed like you usually do."

"What's wrong with the way I dress?" Sun demanded indignantly.

"Dude, three words: gay construction worker," Jaune informed him.

"What? Hey, I thought we were buds! How could you turn on me like that?"

"Hey! Don't I get any say on whether I want to go to this stupid dance or not?" Blake barked.

"No," Yang, Sun and Jaune all replied in unison.

Blake looked at if she was going to argue, but the stern glances of everyone at the table silenced her.

"Fine! I'll go. Whatever," she eventually muttered before lapsing into a sulk.

"So, Jaune? You got a date yet, 'cos I'm available?" Yang asked, fluttering her eyelashes at the blonde young man outrageously.

"Umm, sorry, Yang, but I already have a date," he replied cautiously.

"Oh, don't tell me, let me guess: Pyrrha," Yang growled.

"Hello again!" the redhead called out cheerfully.

"You moved fast, P Money," Yang noted sourly. "They only announced the dance yesterday."

"And Jaune graciously offered to accompany me last night," Pyrrha confirmed, a little smugly.

"You and Jaune are dating?" Ruby asked, looking a little confused.

"Well, not technically," Jaune leapt in, "but we are going to the dance together. We'll see how things work out after that."

"Of course," Pyrrha agreed, practically radiating happiness.

"Oh, well, each to their own," Weiss muttered. "Congratulations to you both, I guess."

"I can't believe my fellow blonde actually prefers redheads," Yang moaned.

"Nah, blondes should never date each other. It never works out," Sun advised sagely. "Me, I like brunettes, myself."

"You don't say," Neptune drawled.

As the banter continued, no one noticed Ruby staring at her plate with a frown on her face.

* * *

"Okay, they've just entered the building," Pyrrha whispered, her eyes glued to a set of binoculars she was using to observe the area.

"So far, so good," Jaune noted, peering down at the dark streets below.

When Team RWBY had announced that they had discovered the location of a secret recruitment meeting for the White Fang, and the Blake and Sun intended to infiltrate the gathering, Jaune had put his foot down. At first, the plan was for the two Faunus to go in with absolutely no backup or means of communication other than their Scrolls. Jaune had informed the group in no uncertain terms how lame he thought that idea was and insisted that things were done right.

This meant that Team JNPR was on hand to overwatch the whole thing and provide immediate back up if required. Although Sun and Blake had nothing other than their Scrolls to summon help, the risk being too great that they might be searched at the door, Jaune reasoned that his team would be close enough to intervene at the slightest sign of trouble. They'd also scouted suitable observation points prior to the meeting, hence why he and Pyrrha were on the rooftop of a three-story building across from the warehouse that the meeting was taking place in. Ren and Nora, on the other hand, were hidden behind a dumpster on the far side of the target. Rank had its privileges and Jaune, as team leader, had selected the less smelly position for himself and Pyrrha.

"There's an awful lot of people entering," Pyrrha continued. "At least two hundred, at a guess."

"Damn, it looks like the Fang is really drumming up some support. Still, one good thing, with a crowd that size it will be easier for Blake and Sun to remain inconspicuous."

"I suppose," Pyrrha agreed.

Silence descended as the two of them intently watched the darkened building. Outwardly, the place displayed no signs of life, despite the hundreds of Faunus within. Minutes dragged on, and Jaune fidgeted nervously. He hated waiting.

"Did you mean what you said at breakfast this morning?" Pyrrha asked suddenly.

"Eh? About what?"

"When you said that you'd see how things worked out between us after the dance. It kind of sounded like you accepted that we were dating," she replied, purposely avoiding his gaze.

"Oh, was that not what you wanted?" he asked. "I'm really sorry if I misinterpreted what you were expecting."

"No!" she replied, sounding a little panicky. "I would really like for us to start dating. I guess… I guess I was just a little surprised that you accepted the idea so readily. I mean, you've never seemed that interested in dating anyone. Not even that tramp Yang."

Jaune chuckled. Pyrrha barely had a bad word to say about anyone, but she seemed prepared to make the exception for Yang. The blonde girl's aggressive flirting with him always rubbed his partner up the wrong way.

"To be truthful, Pyrrha, I guess I have been avoiding the idea of getting in a relationship. I mean, I came to Beacon to get better at killing Grimm, and that was the only thing on my mind at first. However, Mom and Dad drilled into me the benefits of being on a team and making friends. Honestly, I couldn't have ever wished for better guys to be with than you, Ren and Nora. You've all become so important to me."

"Is that why you haven't wanted to date me? That you didn't want to endanger our friendship? I think I made my feelings on the subject pretty clear, after all," she pointed out.

"No, that's not really the reason," he admitted. "I guess the real reason I've resisted getting involved with you was that I felt I wasn't good enough for you."

"Jaune, I…" she began.

"No, just hear me out, please. Since I first got to Beacon, I've been in awe of a lot of people, from teachers to my fellow students, but none more so than you. You're such a good person, as well as an awesome fighter, not to mention beautiful. I think I'm a pretty good warrior, too, but I'm not on your level. I suppose I think I didn't deserve you, that there was some guy out there who was a better match for you."

"Jaune, how can you say that? You have an ability that none of us have, and even if you didn't, that wouldn't matter to me. I like you just because you are you. I don't care what skills or talents you have, I just lo… I mean, like the person you are," Pyrrha told him passionately. "Does the fact that you're telling me this means you've changed your mind?"

"Yes, I guess it does," he admitted. "My father always told me to have more belief in myself and also reminded me that I was an Arc, and all that entails. It's funny, I told you about that girl I used to chase after back home called Yazmin, right? I've realised that previously I've only ever chased after girls who have no interest in me, kind of as a means of protection."

"I don't understand," Pyrrha admitted.

"Yazmin never had any interest in me, at all, and deep down I knew that. I think that I only go after that type of girl knowing that they'll always turn me down and that I won't end up in a relationship with them. Relationships are scary, and I don't think I was ready to be in one. By trying to chat up a girl I know is unobtainable, I was kinda fooling myself that I was making the effort, but secretly ensuring that I didn't take any risks of truly having my heart broken. Hell, I bet if things were different I would have ended up chasing after Weiss the moment I got to Beacon. I suppose I was something of a coward acting like that."

"No, I understand," Pyrrha said quickly. "I've… I've never really been in a relationship, either, but the difference between us is that I found someone I truly wanted to be with. The only boys I got to meet the same age as me either resented me for being better than them or were after something. You are the first boy I've met that I really trust, Jaune, and who treats me as a normal person, not some shining battle goddess."

"Ooh, but you are a shining battle goddess, Pyrrha!" Jaune insisted with a chuckle.

"So, what changed? Why are you suddenly so willing to try and give a relationship between us a go?" she asked.

"Well, as I said, my dad talked some sense into me, my sisters, too. Even my mom, come to think of it. But most of all, I realised that although I still don't think I'm good enough for you, I don't think anyone is good enough. So, by that reckoning, I thought that if you were going to have to settle for some inferior schmuck, that schmuck might as well be me."

"Oh, Jaune! I can't think of any schmuck I would rather be with," Pyrrha told him, laughing out loud.

"Glad to hear it," he replied with a huge grin of his own. "Say, do you think…"

Jaune got no further, as he was cut short by the sound of a huge explosion. He whipped his head round in time to see a giant robot leaping from the smoking remains of the side of the warehouse.

"A Paladin 290!" gasped Pyrrha. "Look, is it chasing after someone?"

"We'd better get down there," he told her, scrambling to his feet.

Without hesitation, Jaune leapt off the side of the building with Pyrrha right behind him. Using his Aura, he cushioned his landing with ease. Almost as soon as he stood up straight, his scroll went off. A quick glance at the screen showed it was Ren calling.

"Yo, buddy, what's up?" Jaune asked by way of greeting.

"Did you see Blake and Sun being chased by that machine?" Ren demanded. His slightly laboured breathing suggested he was running.

"We saw the machine, which Pyrrha tells me is called a Paladin 290, but we didn't see Blake or Sun. Are you telling me that thing is after them?"

"Yes, and Nora and I are chasing it!"

"Okay, we're right behind you and… oh, wait. We might be held up a little while, buddy."

"Why's that" Ren demanded.

"Because about twenty White Fang members have just spilled out of the building and have seen us," Jaune informed him in a surprisingly level voice.

"Can you handle them?"

"No problem. You two go after Blake and Sun, and Pyrrha and I will deal with these jokers."

"Okay, call me when you're done." The line then went dead.

As soon as he'd finished his call, Jaune crammed his Scroll into his pocket and unsheathed his sword. A moment later, his shield unfolded and Crocea Mors was ready for action. Beside him, Pyrrha pulled her own round shield from off her back and gripped it tightly. Miló was in her other hand in its sword form. Both of them had elected to wear their armour during the mission, so they were armed and ready.

"Who the hell are you two?" demanded a large man, his face completely hidden behind his Grimm mask. Jaune noted that this person appeared to be in charge and that he was tall and powerfully built.

"They're Huntsmen!" another member of the White Fang declared accusingly.

"Nah, they're too young," the large man noted. "I bet these two are from Beacon, just like those other spies."

"What do we do?" another Fang member asked.

"They're humans. We kill them," the large man said with a shrug. From his back, he pulled his weapon which, with a tug of a cord, sprang into life.

"A chainsaw?" Jaune exclaimed. "Who the hell fights with a chainsaw?"

"I do," the man replied, with a note of cruel amusement in his voice.

Before anything else could happen, however, there was a bustle of movement behind the White Fang members. Jaune watched in horror as at least another twenty or so antagonists arrived to swell the ranks of the existing Fang ranks. All of them were holding a weapon of some sort.

"Umm, Jaune, I think this might be a little much for us to handle," Pyrrha noted uncertainty.

"We can't let them get behind us," he hissed back, observing that the Fang fighters were already beginning to spread out and encircle them.

"Do we run?" Pyrrha asked.

"We'd never make it," he said. "We need to punch a hole through their ranks. Remember what I told you about my last training session with Goodwitch?"

"Oh, yes."

"Then get ready. I'm going to charge them head on. You stay as close behind me as you can and take down anyone who tries to tackle us from the side. Ready?"

"Most definitely," Pyrrha agreed, shifting her sword into its spear form and taking a step back.

"Then let's go!"

Jaune sprinted forward, his shield held out in front of him like a battering ram. The White Fang members gawped at them for a moment, not quite believing that the pair of them would be so reckless as to try and charge them head on. The large lieutenant just dropped down into a crouch, his chainsaw buzzing in front of him.

When they were about five yards away from the first of their opponents, Jaune let his Aura flow into his shield. He could feel the power radiating from it, and it gave him a strange sense of comfort.

Amazingly, it proved that physical contact wasn't even necessary. He was at least two feet away from the tip of the lieutenant's buzzing blade when Jaune's Aura made contact with it. The chainsaw was ripped from the man's hands and blasted away out of sight. A split second later, the big man followed, being tossed about like he was a rag doll. His comrades either side of him shared the same fate, barely having time to scream as they were blown away. Jaune continued to charge, blasting a hole through the ranks of his foes perhaps five yards wide. Behind him, he heard Pyrrha grunt as she thrust her weapon at some unseen adversary. A scream of pain suggested she'd hit her target.

Once they were through the ranks of the White Fang, Jaune turned to face the remaining horde. He guessed he'd taken about eight or nine of them out, including the leader of the group, and the remaining White Fang were all looking at him with their mouths open in horror.

"Again, Jaune, hit them again," Pyrrha urged.

Bellowing out a battle cry, Jaune followed his partner's instructions and charged at another group of Fang members. This time, a few of them who had firearms began to shoot at him as he ran forward, but nothing seemed to penetrate the glowing nimbus of power Jaune was projecting. The first White Fang member he made contact with crumpled as if they had been hit with a giant hammer. A second was blown backwards straight into one of his comrades, who collapsed on impact. A few fighters made a futile attempt to swing their weapons at him but were smashed back as soon as they came close.

After breaking apart the second group, Jaune and Pyrrha paused. They had a brick wall to their left and had no remaining White Fang members standing behind them, so all their foes were directly in front of them or to their right. While pleased at their efforts, Jaune knew he wouldn't be able to keep this up for much longer. He already felt his Aura levels dipping, and he was becoming desperately tired.

"What the hell are you?" a bemused White Fang member yelled at him.

Knowing this was a chance to end the fight before he collapsed with exhaustion, Jaune stepped forward. He let his gaze drift across the remaining Fang members, who all seemed incapable of deciding what to do next.

"I'll tell you what I'm not," Jaune called out. "I'm not your enemy. I hate the way you Faunus are treated as much as you do, and I have no personal grudge with any of you. As far as I'm concerned, my true enemy are the Grimm and that's who I'm trained to fight."

"That's bullshit!" a braver member of the group challenged. "Look at how many of us you've already crippled or killed. What are you even doing here? Are you with those spies who infiltrated our meeting?"

"Yes, I am," Jaune admitted. "They are friends of mine. Faunus who, like me, believe the White Fang is on the wrong path. In recent years you've become little more than a terrorist organization. Now, while I have some sympathy for your reasons for doing that, I have to ask you, what do you think you'll achieve?"

"Freedom!" the previous man yelled. "Freedom from oppression and discrimination."

"And you think you'll achieve that by killing humans? Man, that's dumb. All you'll do is succeed in turning every other human against you. Now, what's the ratio of Faunus to humans? One in ten, one in fifteen, something like that? You keep going the way you are, and all you'll do is unite the human race against you, and they'll crush you all by weight of numbers alone."

"Do you expect us to just stand back and let ourselves be enslaved?" the man demanded.

"No, but there are other ways to achieve your goals. As you guessed, we're from Beacon, and I can tell you there are plenty of Faunus there, happily living and training side by side with humans. Oh, I won't deny that there are a few racist idiots still giving them a hard time, but they are such an insignificant number that they are barely worth mentioning."

"We put one such fool in his place just a while back," Pyrrha added. "We protect our friends, and that doesn't matter if they are human or Faunus."

"Damn right," Jaune shouted. "What you guys should be doing is integrating into society, not trying to destroy it. I know a lot of humans aren't as enlightened and, trust me, I'm as disgusted at the antics of people like the Schnee Dust Company and their like, but we're trying to make things better, and we can't do that if it ends up being a war. All that will happen is that things get worst for you guys, and we end up with more bloodshed. The only winners in that situation will be the Grimm."

"For someone who preaches about integration and peace, you seem pretty good at killing Faunus," the man pointed out angrily.

"You attacked us," Jaune pointed out. "I seemed to recall your boy with the chainsaw ordering you to kill us, just because we were human. Did you think we were going to just let you do that?"

The man stayed silent.

"I guess now you have to ask yourselves, what happens next?" Jaune continued. "You have seen what my partner and I can do. If you're eager to fill a body bag, you just keep on attacking us. If, however, you want to keep on breathing, you can just turn around and disappear into the night. We won't try and stop you, or even follow you. As I said, the Grimm are my true enemies, although I have to say I'm quite keen to take down that Torchwick guy if I see him."

"If you distrust humans so much, why do you work with a man like that?" Pyrrha demanded loudly. "He's a criminal, and the very last person you should have faith in. No doubt he will stab you all in the back the first chance he gets."

There was a mutter of agreement amongst the White Fang members, who clearly hadn't liked the idea of cooperating with Torchwick in the first place.

"So, what's it to be?" Jaune asked, his sword at the ready.

The various members of the Fang all exchanged anxious looks for a moment before the man who had spoken earlier stepped forward.

"We're not walking away. We have wounded here that need to be taken care of," he called. "However, if you two should choose to turn around and walk, we're not going to try and stop you."

"Fair enough," Jaune agreed, letting the tip of his sword dip. "We're going to back up, but I warn you, any funny business and we won't stop until you're all laying on the ground bleeding."

"We're not that stupid, kid," the man assured him. There was a slight pause before the man spoke again. "Did you really mean what you said? About being friends with Faunus and trying to change folk like those Schnee bastards."

"I did, and I can also promise you that if things stay the way they are, the Schnee Dust Company will be making huge changes to their working practices as soon as their current president retires. The next generation has very different ideas," Jaune promised.

"I hope so," the man said with a nod. "Now, would you two please leave? We have wounded to look after."

Without a word, Jaune half-turned and began to walk down the street away from the remaining White Fang members. Pyrrha copied his actions, trying to maintain a rapid pace but still keeping one eye on their foes. Only when they reached the end of the street and turned a corner that they began to relax.

"Come on, let's put some distance between us and them," Jaune suggested, breaking into a jog.

"Good idea," Pyrrha agreed. "Jaune, you were amazing! I can't believe that just a short while ago you were suggesting that I was a much better fighter than you. You must have taken half their number down with nothing more than your shield. And that speech you gave at the end! I think you actually got through to some of them."

"Maybe, but it was just as well they were prepared to listen. Those two charges used up a hell of a lot of my Aura," he told her. As he ran, he pulled out his Scroll and glanced at his Aura level, which he noted happily was already beginning to recover. He also noticed that both Ren and Nora's levels had dipped a little, suggesting that they too might have seen some action. Feeling that they were sufficiently far away from the White Fang, he signaled Pyrrha to slow down, before dialing Ren's number.

"What happened? Are you two alright?" Ren asked as soon as they connected.

"Yeah, we're fine. Turns out there were a lot more White Fang members there than we were expecting, but we managed to fight them off," Jaune informed his friend. "What about you guys? Where are you?"

"We're down by the commercial district, just off the main highway," Ren replied. "We're all fine. The rest of Team RWBY turned up to help, and between us, we smashed that Paladin to pieces. Torchwick got away, though."

"That's a shame," Jaune said. He'd been holding the Scroll away from his ear so Pyrrha could listen in, and her close proximity as she pressed her ear to the Scroll was more than a little distracting.

"Indeed. Anyway, we've all decided that we need something to replenish our energy levels, so we're heading over to a noodle bar over on twenty-fifth and third. Yang highly recommends it."

"You know what? I've worked up an appetite, too. We'll meet you guys there," Jaune agreed, before hanging up. Pyrrha straightened her back but made no effort to step away from him.

"Umm, Pyrrha? I'm not sure that this is the place to… ouch!" Jaune cried, as the redhead struck him on the head, hard.

"That, Jaune Arc, was for thinking that I was too good for you," she declared passionately. "You will never, ever think anything as stupid as that again, or ever try and push me away because you think that I could do better than you."

"Err, okay," he agreed, rather intimidated by the stern expression on her face.

"Good, now I would like to do something to officially mark the change in our relationship, but I suspect that a dark street just a few hundred yards away from a group of murderous White Fang members is not the best place for our first kiss. I guess I'm going to have to wait for that pleasure, aren't I?"

"I guess so," Jaune replied, still rubbing his sore head. "How about I buy you a bowl of noodles, instead?"

"That, my dear Jaune, does not even come close," she said with a laugh, "but it's the best I'm going to get tonight, isn't it?"

Steeling himself, Jaune slowly leant over and planted a soft kiss on her cheek.

"Then have that on account, and I promise something a lot better soon," he told her.

"I can't wait," she replied.

Hand in hand, the two warriors headed off to meet with their friends.


	7. Chapter 7 – Dance

**Chapter 7 – Dance **

So we reach that season two highlight – the dance! Obviously, with Jaune and Pyrrha already hooked-up in my story, nothing can possibly go wrong, can it? No, it's all fluff and flowers from this point in.

Yay, Arnel is back on beta-ship duties! Everything is good in the world again.

P.S. I was listening to Kontrust's song 'Dance' while I wrote this. I really think it sets the right mood for this chapter...

* * *

"So, we know that the White Fang has a major base somewhere to the southeast and that Torchwick has access to military grade weapon technology. Is that right?" Weiss noted with a huff.

"Yeah, a big, shiny Paladin 290, no less. Made in Atlas," Blake pointed out.

"I have absolutely no idea how such a thing could have fallen into the hands of a degenerate like Torchwick," Weiss replied coldly. "I hope you're not suggesting that the forces of Atlas are somehow in cahoots with that criminal?"

"He managed to get that machine from somewhere," Blake pointed out sourly.

"Ladies, please, let's not get sidetracked," Ren interrupted, ever the voice of reason. "We need to consider what we've learned and plan our next move."

"It seems like finding this mysterious base is the next thing we should be doing," Yang suggested.

"Yeah, and to do that we need to get out there, somehow," Ruby agreed.

"Well, we do have these team missions coming up where we shadow a Huntsman. Hopefully, at least one of them will take place to the southeast," Weiss pointed out.

"Hey, she's not just a pretty face, is she? That's a great idea, Weissy," Yang praised.

"Don't call me that," the girl in white snapped.

"Well, you guys will have the chance to do something before us," Jaune told them. "We've been allocated to the final run of missions, so you'll be out before us."

"No worries, we'll…" Yang began but was cut short by a knock on the door of Team RWBY's dorm room. With a shrug, she got up to answer it and was surprised to find Professor Ozpin waiting there.

"Good evening, Miss Xiao Long," he said by way of greeting. "I was wondering if I might have a moment of your time. Ah, I see Team JNPR are here, too. Excellent. That will save me calling on them, too."

"Err, what can we do for you, sir?" Yang asked, stepping to the side to let the man enter.

"Well, it seems there was some trouble in Vale tonight, and naturally when anyone says the word 'trouble' to me I instantly think of your two respective teams, especially as the boarding log at the airship station says all eight of you went into town this evening."

"We… all went out to get dinner together," Ruby said quickly.

"Yeah, we ate at the Wow Wok Noodle Bar. It was great!" Nora added.

"Ah, yes. I am aware of the establishment and I must compliment you on your good taste. It is, however, on the far side of Vale and rather a great distance to go for such a simple meal," Ozpin pointed out. "It's also rather near the area where all the trouble occurred."

"We, ah, picked it because it had such a great reputation. A couple of the Haven students ate there a few days ago and insisted we should try it," Jaune lied convincingly. "Come to think of it, we did hear some police sirens in the distance while we were eating, didn't we guys?"

"Yeah!" everyone agreed.

"So, what kind of trouble occurred, sir?" Weiss asked carefully.

"It was rather an eventful evening," Ozpin revealed. "There were sightings of a large military robot going on the rampage, violent clashes between what appeared to be members of the White Fang and some unidentified youths. The obstruction of a major highway as an orange motorbike weaved in and out of traffic. Gunfire, explosions, strange scythe-wielding girls darting around… all in all, a hectic night."

"Eh, really? Well, we certainly missed out, not seeing any of that," Blake said, the bow on her head twitching furiously.

"Yes, the noodles were so good we weren't paying attention to anything else. At all. Just the noodles," Yang added.

"Well, I can't argue with that. It is a very good establishment and I only lament that they are too far away to deliver to the school," Ozpin said regretfully. "I'm glad you all had such a pleasant evening. By the way, Mister Arc, I believe you have spilled some of the sauce on your top."

"What?" Jaune gasped, looking down at himself.

"On that note, I will bid you goodnight," Ozpin announced, heading out of the door.

As soon as the headmaster had left, the teenagers all shared nervous looks.

"He… he must realise it was us, right?" Blake submitted.

"He's messing with us. He has to be!" Weiss snorted.

"Or he wants us to know that he knows it was us, but that he's giving us a pass," Jaune suggested.

"For what purpose?" Weiss scoffed.

"I have no idea," Jaune replied.

* * *

The next day, Jaune and Ren were strolling around the school grounds when they run into the amiable visitors from Mistral, Sun and Neptune. Both of them had apparently heard of the previous night's events and were mortified at having not been invited along.

"Man, what I would have done to see the girls take down that Paladin," Sun lamented.

"Ren was there, too," Jaune pointed out. "I don't think he likes being referred to as a girl."

"Sorry, man, it's the hair," Neptune said with a smirk.

"Says the boy with the blue granny rinse," Jaune muttered.

"And what about you and Pyrrha taking down all those White Fang douchebags! Awesome," Sun continued, ignoring the outraged expression on his teammate's face that his beloved hair should be mocked.

"They weren't very skilled," Jaune said dismissively.

"That's not what Blake said," Neptune disagreed. "She said that there were some pretty high-level Fang fighters there, but I suppose they hadn't planned on running into the Mistral Tournament Champion. Man, that Nikos girl is hot! I can't wait to see what that babe will be wearing to the dance."

"Umm, Neptune? You do understand that you're talking about Jaune's date to the dance, don't you?" Ren pointed out mildly.

"What? Oh, dude, I'm sorry! I had no idea. I didn't mean any disrespect, honest. I promise I won't go anywhere near her," Neptune said quickly.

"That's okay, pal, and I'm almost certain that I won't have to break your fingers one by one if you do step out of line, will I?" Jaune growled.

"Wow, man, I think he's pretty serious about her," Sun stage whispered to his friend. "I'd forget all about Nikos if I were you."

"Nikos? Who's that? I've never even heard of her," Neptune blurted.

"Why are you talking about this, anyway?" Sun demanded of his best friend. "Haven't you got a date yet?"

"I've… had a few offers," Neptune replied cagily.

"A few? From who?" Ren asked.

"Umm, well, one at least. But she's smokin' hot, though! That Schnee chick asked me to go with her."

"And?" Jaune pressed.

"And what?" Neptune responded dimly.

"And are you going with her?" Jaune clarified irritably.

"Oh, no. You know, she's pretty cool, but I might get a better offer, you know."

Jaune, Ren, and Sun all stopped abruptly and stared at the blue-haired boy in disbelief.

"What?" he demanded.

"A better offer?" Jaune gasped. "Let me remind you of a few things. Weiss Schnee is a stunningly beautiful young woman, with a lithe, sensuous figure, the singing voice of an angel, and the elegant grace of a swan. She's also rich, famous, and apparently stupid enough to ask you out. Who the hell could be a more desirable date than her?"

"Err… perhaps… I dunno…. Professor Goodwitch?" Neptune suggested.

"Professor Goodwitch?" the three remaining males all repeated simultaneously.

"Yeah, I'll have you know I have a thing for older women," Neptune informed them, crossing his arms and glaring defiantly.

"Dude, how long have a known you?" Sun asked. "Never once in all that time have you ever even hinted at liking older women. In fact, I have on numerous have heard you expressing a preference for, and I shall quote you on this, 'hot young babes with smokin' booties'. So, what gives? Schnee is exactly the type you normally drool over."

Neptune's face crumbled. "Look, it's like this, Weiss is a classy girl, right? She's bound to have gone to loads of these fancy dances and I bet she's a real mover on the dance floor, right?"

"I wouldn't disagree with anything you've said so far," Ren noted.

"Well, I mean, she's going to expect her date to dance with her, right?"

"Ah, I get it now," Sun announced.

"Care to explain?" Jaune challenged.

Sun reached over and patted Neptune on the shoulder.

"Gentlemen, please meet the most inept, two-left-footed dancer in the four kingdoms. A young man so devoid of any sense of rhythm that when his left leg is doing the tango, his right leg is dancing the foxtrot. If you ever want to watch anyone commit social suicide, just get Neptune to pay a visit to the dancefloor."

"Is he really that bad?" Jaune asked in surprise.

"Dude, when this man gets up to dance, I guarantee he'll bring the party to a grinding halt, simply because everyone will have to stop whatever they were doing to laugh at him!"

"Jeez, no need to rub it in," Neptune grumbled.

"So, that's the only reason you turned Weiss down? Because you're afraid to dance with her?" Jaune demanded.

"Trust me, if she did actually see me dance, she wouldn't want anything to do with me," Neptune confessed. "I'm better off looking elsewhere, with someone who won't insist that I dance with them. Hey, Jaune, that Nora chick that's on your team, she's pretty hot. Has she got a date yet?"

Sun sighed loudly. "Neptune, old buddy, old pal, please look to your left and observe the angry expression on Ren's face at this moment. Got that? Man, you've got to stop going after other guy's dates!"

"Well, I didn't know, did I?" Neptune protested.

"Dude, you spend all this time and effort trying to look cool, and then you always go and ruin it by opening your mouth and talking," Sun noted tragically.

"Neptune, perhaps in an effort to avoid being killed by any number of Beacon students whose date you're trying to muscle in on, why don't you just accept Weiss's offer, instead," Jaune suggested.

"But I told you…" Neptune began.

"If you do," Jaune cut him off, "I promise to help you learn a few simple dance steps so you at least won't make a fool of yourself."

"You can dance?" Neptune asked in surprise.

"Dude, I grew up with five older sisters, all of whom regularly attended balls and dances. Guess who got stuck with being their practice partner for years."

"Do you think you can really help me?" Neptune demanded doubtfully.

"Yes, I do. Not making an idiot of yourself on the dancefloor is all about keeping things simple. You might not end up being the coolest mover out there, but I guarantee I can at least prevent you from stomping on Schnee's toes."

"Really? Well, I guess I'm up for it," Neptune agreed.

"Okay, have you got anything planned for the next hour?" Jaune asked.

"Err, no."

"Right, okay, you three. I know a deserted classroom we can use, and I have a few tunes on my scroll we can practice to. Let's go," Jaune informed them in a no-nonsense manner.

"Wait, why do Sun and I have to come along?" Ren demanded.

"To guard the door, of course," Jaune retorted. "If I'm going to dance with another dude, I want to make damn sure no one is going to walk in and catch me doing it. Kapeesh?"

"Yeah, we get it," the three agreed and began to trail after Jaune.

* * *

"Stupid thing! Stop unwinding you… ugh!"

In frustration, Jaune pulled his unravelled bowtie from around his neck and stared at it angrily. His dad had shown him how to do up one of these things previously, but it had been some time ago and a lot of things had happened since, none of which had required the use of ornamental neck constraints.

Looking in the mirror, Jaune noted that Ren managed to tie his perfectly, and was currently attending to his black jacket with a clothes brush. All in all, the reserved young Huntsman was dressed immaculately. Although he loved him like a brother, Jaune had to admit there were times when he could happily strangle the boy for being so perfect.

"Can I help with that?"

Jaune hadn't heard the bathroom door open, so was unaware that the ladies of Team JNPR had entered the room. By mutual agreement, he and Ren had quickly used the facilities earlier, leaving Nora and Pyrrha to complete their preparations in peace. When he turned and saw Pyrrha, he couldn't help but feel that it had been time very well spent.

"That dress looks great on you!" Jaune exclaimed at the sight of his partner.

"Thank you, Jaune," she replied, blushing slightly.

Jaune took a moment to admire her. Naturally, she'd chosen to wear a red dress, but he hadn't appreciated just how elegant and mature she would look in eveningwear. While he was aware that Pyrrha possessed a knockout figure, the ankle-length outfit she wore hugged her curves in all the right places. While she retained her headpiece and her hairstyle was unchanged, Pyrrha had elected to wear slightly more makeup than she normally did, and her lips seemed to glisten with an alluring moistness that made Jaune gulp. Her perfume was making his head swim, too.

"Ugh… yeah!" Jaune eventually managed to splutter. "If you could help me with this stupid bowtie that would be a big help."

"Of course," she replied and took the offending tie from his hands.

For some reason, Jaune felt extraordinarily nervous as Pyrrha stood before him. As she pulled up his collar and looped the tie around his neck, he became aware of just how close they were. As she tied the bow, she would occasionally brush against him, her chest against his. It was all Jaune could do to stop his knees from trembling.

"There, all done," Pyrrha announced, taking a step back to admire her work. "You look extremely handsome, Jaune. Very distinguished."

"Yeah, that's not a word that's ever been applied to me," he mumbled.

"Oh, my gosh! Look at the two of you!" Nora suddenly exclaimed. "I've just got to get a picture of this. Stay right where you are!"

"Umm, okay," Jaune meekly agreed as Nora scrambled for her Scroll.

"Right, let's have you in a nice pose," Nora instructed them as soon as she'd located the Scroll. "Jaune, place your left arm around Pyrrha's waist. Pyrrha, get in nice and close to Jaune… closer… come on, don't be shy. Come on now, smile!"

Jaune tried not to blink as the flash on Nora's scroll went off… and again… and again.

"Beautiful," Nora bellowed. "Now, let's have you in a different pose. Face each other and link hands. I want to see you gazing lovingly into each other's eyes."

"Umm, Nora…" Pyrrha began.

"Just do it!" Nora ordered in a voice so loud that the furniture started vibrating.

Jaune and Pyrrha quickly did as they were told, linking hands and looking into each other's eyes. Although he was being press-ganged into this by his teammate, Jaune couldn't help but smile goofily as he stared into Pyrrha's bright green eyes. Unwittingly, his fingers began to caress hers as he held them.

"That's great. Now, Pyrrha stand in front of Jaune. Jaune, you wrap your arms around her middle and look over her shoulder."

"Nora, how many of these photos are you going to take?" Jaune asked.

"Until I have enough," she growled.

"Enough?" Jaune repeated in confusion.

"Yeah, I promised to send pictures to Rose, Adele, and your mom."

"What? Why are you sending pictures to my family?" Jaune demanded.

"Because they asked me to. Duh!"

"But how do they even know I'm going to the dance with Pyrrha? I never mentioned it to them," he protested.

"I know, and they're very upset about it. You really should talk to your family more, you know. They always complain that you never call them enough."

"They always complain? Nora, how often do you talk with my family?" Jaune asked.

"All the time," Nora informed him happily. "I text at least one of them each day. I've even started exchanging messages with your other sisters. Violette has some pretty cool stories about you."

"What? How long has this been going on?"

"Since we visited your home. They gave me their Scroll numbers before we left. Didn't you know I speak to them regularly?" Nora asked in genuine surprise.

"No!" he exclaimed.

"Oh, well, actually I text your family fairly regularly, too," Pyrrha admitted.

"So do I," Ren added.

"Great, so my family probably know everything I do?" Jaune groaned.

"We don't just talk about you, you know," Nora told him stiffly. "That's rather egotistical of you."

"I… oh, whatever. I really don't mind you guys talking to them, I just would have liked to have known you do," Jaune told them. "Let's just get ready to go, eh?"

"Yeah, because everything has to be perfect," Nora insisted, "You and Pyrrha are going to have a magical evening tonight. Do you hear me? MAGICAL!"

"Nora is quite keen that this date goes well for you," Ren explained.

"Damn straight! And I'm not going to let anything get in the way of that happening. NOTHING!" Nora bellowed whilst jumping onto her bed and pumping her fist skyward.

"That's… very kind, Nora, but I'm sure Jaune and I will have a grand evening without help from anyone else," Pyrrha assured her.

"Yes, but what if Grimm attacked during the middle of the dance?" Nora pointed out with an expression of horror on her face. "What if Weiss sees the two of you together and suddenly decides she's into Jaune, making her attack the both of you in a fit jealousy? What if the punch is spiked? What if the school is suddenly invaded by an army of super-secret ninja warriors intent on kidnapping any red-haired girls they find? Oh no, Ren, protect me!"

"Let's just go, shall we, guys?" Jaune practically begged. "We'll deal with the ninjas as and when, okay?"

"But they could be hiding anywhere!" Nora insisted, peering under her bed. Fortunately, Ren, who was clearly used to dealing with this sort of thing, pulled her to her feet and gently guided her towards the door.

As soon as the team left the room, then encountered a nervous-looking Neptune who was pacing to and fro in front of Team RWBY's door. The blue-haired boy spotted Jaune and a look of hope appeared on his face.

"Jaune, man, am I glad to see you! Have we got time to go over those dance steps again, 'cos I think I've forgotten half of them? Do I look okay, by the way? This aftershave wasn't too much, was it? Oh, gods, I'm not used to dating, I know I'm going to mess this up!"

"Wow, he's turned into Nora," Ren noted.

"Dude, just calm down and you'll be fine," Jaune assured him. "By the way, what did you mean, you're not used to dating? Surely a cool guy like you goes on lots of dates?"

"Umm, you would think that, wouldn't you?" Neptune mumbled. "The thing is, I talk to lots of girls but for some reason, they never seem that into me. I have no idea why."

"I think you've hit the problem on the head – you talk to them," Nora said sourly. "You'd do much better if you stood there silently and just looked pretty."

"Do you think… hey! Was that an insult?"

Nora groaned. "The force is weak in this one. Idiot he is."

"Don't listen to her, she's just joking," Jaune assured Neptune, despite him being pretty sure she wasn't. "You're looking sharp, man. Just remember to play it cool when you meet up with Weiss, and you'll do just fine."

"Thanks, Jaune," Neptune replied, calming down a little. "It's just… Weiss is taking a really long time to get ready. I mean, like, ages! Sun and Blake headed off twenty minutes ago!"

"I wouldn't worry," Pyrrha told him. "Weiss has always been rather… high maintenance. I imagine she would take great pains with her appearance."

"Yeah, don't sweat it, buddy," Jaune said, slapping the young man on the arm. "We'll see you down there, 'kay."

"Laters," Neptune said with a wave of his hand, before resuming his pacing in front of Team RWBY's room. Team JNPR made a hasty retreat.

"I thought Weiss was helping organise this ball," Ren commented as they headed down the hall.

"Yes, she was," Pyrrha confirmed. "However, when her teammates learned of her date with Neptune, they basically took over her duties and told her to concentrate on enjoying the evening. It was rather sweet of them, I thought."

"It was a wise move, though," Nora added. "I mean, Weiss probably will have spent most of the day working on her hair. Her arms are probably aching by now."

"I guess you were right about that 'high maintenance' comment, Pyrrha," Jaune noted. "Still, I'm sure it will all be worth it. No doubt Weiss will look absolutely stunning when she finally emerges."

"Hey!" Nora exclaimed, grabbing the lapels of his jacket and dragging him down to her eye level. "Remember that you're on a date with Pyrrha. No complimenting other girls!"

"It's alright, Nora. I'm sure Jaune is correct. Weiss will probably look amazing tonight," Pyrrha said a little wistfully.

"Yeah, of course, that doesn't mean I would have rather gone to the dance with her," Jaune added quickly while managing to wriggle out of Nora's grasp. "I already have a stunningly beautiful date, and one I like much more, anyway."

"Thank you," Pyrrha said simply, a rosy flush appearing on her cheeks.

"That's more like it!" Nora whooped. "Keep the comments like that coming, Arc!"

Eventually, the four of them arrived at the ballroom where they were greeted by Yang, who was working reception.

"Hey, guys," the busty blonde greeted them. "You're all looking good, especially Mr. Arc there. You scrub up good, hot stuff. I'll be expecting a dance later, got that?"

"I'm not sure. Jaune's dance card is pretty full already," Pyrrha declared, possessively grabbing Jaune's arm and glaring at Yang.

"Relax, red," Yang said, smirking at the tall girl. "I know you two are on a date tonight. I promise I'm not going to do anything to spoil that."

"Really?" Pyrrha asked, not sounding convinced.

"Yeah, don't worry. Besides, I think Sun was right. Two blondes should never date each other. We'd be spending all our time fighting over the hair products."

"I don't use any hair products," Jaune protested. "I'm a natural blonde."

"So am I, but we've got to keep these luscious locks under control, eh?"

"Ha! That's a losing battle for Jaune," Nora declared, reaching up and messing Jaune's already wayward hair.

"Nora!" Jaune protested. "I had actually combed my hair, I'll have you know."

"You did?" Pyrrha asked in surprise.

"Come on, guys, let's just go in," Jaune suggested with a sigh.

The four of them entered the already bustling room and surveyed the scene. A few couples were already dancing, twirling away in time to the elegant music playing. More people, however, were standing around the edge of the dance floor, happily chatting to friends and romantic interests. On the far side of the room was a huge punch bowl with trays of glasses lined up next to it.

"Hey, who wants a drink?" Jaune asked.

"That would be nice," Pyrrha agreed.

"Whoa, there! Hold your horses, buddy. If we're heading over to the punch bowl, you need to get behind me," Nora ordered, marching forward to stand defiantly in front of Jaune and Pyrrha.

"Err, why do we need to stay behind you?" Pyrrha asked nervously.

"Just take a look around," Nor urged. "Can't you see all those covetous eyes on you? Everyone's noticed your entry – Pyrrha Nikos, the beauteous wonder warrior, with her voluptuous figure and hair like fire, accompanied by the handsome Jaune Arc, the dashing leader of Team JNPR, the finest team in the whole of Beacon! No doubt a few of these lowlifes will try and muscle in on your fairy-tale romance!"

"Nora, I really don't think…" Jaune began, but it was too late. Nora had already begun to stalk across the dancefloor, glaring at anyone whom she deemed to be too close.

"Ah, ah! Eyes forward, buddy. Pyrrha Nikos is already spoken for," she spat at a surprised third-year boy who had made the mistake of glancing in their direction, before turning on a second-year girl who had been standing minding her own business. "Back, you harpy! Jaune Arc is not interested in you, vile temptress!"

"What?" the girl muttered in confusion.

"I'm really sorry about this," Jaune apologised as they walked past the girl. "Nora can get a little carried away at times."

"No talking to other girls!" Nora shouted.

"Ren, please help us," Jaune begged, turning to his friend who had been watching all this with a slightly horrified expression on his face.

"I'll try," Ren promised. "Nora's been so excited that you two were actually going on a date, I think she's got a bit wound-up about the whole thing. I'll see if I can't distract her."

Thank you," Pyrrha said thankfully.

"Err, perhaps we should avoid the punch bowl for the moment," Jaune suggested, watching Ren skillfully manoeuvring his ginger companion away from them. "Would you like to dance instead?"

"I'd love to," Pyrrha agreed happily.

Jaune slid his arm around his date's waist and took her hand in his. With a synchronisation that came naturally to a couple who had spent many hours sparring with each other, they both began to move at precisely the same moment and soon were gently swirling around the dance floor in perfect time with the music.

"Wow, you really are a good dancer," Pyrrha complimented him. "I know I heard the others saying you were good, but you're fantastic."

"You just need to have the right partner," he told her with a contented smile on his face.

"I think you might be right," she agreed, her bright green eyes practically twinkling with happiness.

Time began to lose all meaning to Jaune as he and his radiant companion continued to waltz across the floor. He barely registered when the music changed and became more upbeat, as the two of them effortlessly increased the tempo of their movement, moving in perfect harmony. Their dancing was completely instinctual, requiring no thought from either of them. Instead, Jaune found himself captivated by Pyrrha's smiling face. Tonight, she seemed even more beautiful than normal, and she appeared happier than he'd ever seen her. All too often her lovely features were marred by a frown, but tonight she appeared to be completely contented, and it was a look that he definitely approved of.

The music came to a sudden halt, almost, but not quite, catching the two of them off guard. As they came to a halt, Jaune took Pyrrha's other hand in his, and gently placed a kiss on her knuckles.

The sound of loud clapping made him look up, and he was astounded to see most of the occupants of the room gathered around the edge of the dance floor, apparently watching him and Pyrrha dancing. It suddenly dawned on him that no other couples had been on the floor and that they were the centre of attention.

Pyrrha actually laughed and, pulling away from him slightly, performed an elegant curtsy to her audience. Shaking his head, Jaune attempted a florid bow, but he suspected he lacked his partner's grace of poise.

"Bravo, bravo!" called out a voice, and Jaune looked over to see Professor Ozpin walking over, with Professor Goodwitch right beside him.

"That was a most impressive performance," Goodwitch informed them, an approving smile on her lips. "I can't recall ever seeing two pupils of this school move with such elegance and style."

"Indeed, you were quite captivating," Ozpin agreed, "no doubt that was the reason so many of your fellow pupils stopped what they were doing to watch the pair of you. I suppose it's no surprise that two of the most dexterous fighters in this school can also transfer their skills to the ballroom, but I must say I'm gratified that you can. It would be a terrible shame if your talents could only be applied to the battlefield, after all."

"Thank you, sir," Jaune acknowledged. Despite his mother's warning that Ozpin had his own agenda, he found it very hard to dislike the man.

"You also make a very striking couple," Goodwitch continued. "I suppose I should congratulate the pair of you for finally hooking up."

"Oh! How did you hear about that?" Pyrrha exclaimed.

"My dear lady, the pair of you have been the number one topic of gossip around this school for the last week, at least," Ozpin explained in amusement. "I'm afraid we teachers do often fall prey to over inquisitiveness, and such chatter does tend to get repeated in the staff room on a frequent basis."

"The tale of how Pyrrha Nikos finally managed to ensnare the young man of her dreams has been a tale that's been making the rounds a lot lately," Goodwitch advised. "I note you don't share your father's preference for blondes then, Mister Arc?"

"Err… I'm not so much worried about hair colour as about the actual girl," Jaune explained uncomfortably.

"Then I must compliment you on your exquisite taste," Ozpin informed him. "I doubt you could find a more charming and delightful young woman than the one on your arm."

"I agree," Jaune said with a nod.

"Come, Glenda, let's leave these young folk to enjoy themselves. I do hope you two will entertain us later with more of your superb dancing skills," Ozpin noted before turning and ambling off. It may have been his imagination, but Jaune was almost certain the Goodwitch gave him a quick wink before she followed after the headmaster.

"Oh, you two! That was brilliant!" an enthusiastic Ruby Rose shouted, appearing in front of them in a blizzard of rose petals.

"Thank you," Pyrrha told the girl warmly. "Oh, I forgot to ask, are you here with anyone tonight?"

"What? Me, go on a date with a boy or something? Nah, that's just… nah, I wouldn't have… I mean, there's no one I really like that much and, you know, it's all a bit sappy and, like, umm…" Ruby's voice trailed off and she looked faintly embarrassed. She pressed her index fingers together and seemed to want to look in any direction other than at Jaune.

"Well, there's still plenty of time for stuff like that in the years to come, right?" Jaune said, trying to put her at ease. "I mean, Yang didn't come with a partner tonight, did she?"

"She was too busy organising everything," Ruby noted. "Especially after we told Weiss to concentrate on her date rather than organising the dance. Mind you, that was as much to stop her ordering a dozen boxes of doilies for the tables as much as anything."

"Yeah… doilies… nice…" Jaune mumbled, before whispering to Pyrrha, "what are doilies?"

"Don't worry, I didn't know either," Ruby assured him.

"Still, date or not, you should at least take one turn across the dance floor," Pyrrha told the small girl. "I'm sure Jaune would oblige you for a dance. I can promise you he's very good and won't step on your toes."

"Yeah, come on, Ruby," he agreed. "You can't attend a dance and not actually dance."

"Well, okay, but I don't really know what I'm doing," she replied shyly.

"Don't worry, you're in safe hands," Jaune promised, offering her his hand.

No soon had Ruby placed her small hand in his, then there came the sound of a terrible scream, loud enough to rattle the chandelier overhead. Jaune turned to see Nora lunging towards him, a glass of punch in hand, and a look of horror on her face.

"Noooooo, you're here with Pyrrrrrrhhhhhaaaa…" shrieked the ginger-haired girl, flinging herself towards him.

Jaune just had time to look into Nora's terror-stricken face before she collided with him and everything went black…


	8. Chapter 8 – Relationships

**Chapter 8 – Relationships **

The penultimate chapter of this particular story, which will take us up to the end of Season 2. This is another particularly fluffy chapter where nothing is blown up, no one is killed, and Nora doesn't even break anyone's legs. Man, I'm really turning into a wuss in my old age, aren't I?

Huge thanks as always to Arnel for her beta work. I know how she loves these fluffy chapters and I really do provide them for her so infrequently.

* * *

"Umm… I'm really sorry, guys," Nora said meekly, her head bowed and a rosy glow of shame on her cheeks.

"Nora, how could you?" Pyrrha demanded. "Jaune was just going to dance with Ruby for one song. I was perfectly happy with that. Come to think of it, I actually suggested it."

"Sorry!" Nora apologised. "I just saw Jaune taking Ruby's hand and I panicked."

"Look, I really appreciate how you've tried to make this a special night for me and Pyrrha, but can you, how can I put this? Umm… stop? Yeah, that's it. Can you please stop trying to help?" Jaune begged.

"Nora, you know I love you like a sister, and I'm delighted that you want Jaune and me to have a wonderful, romantic evening, but I think we're capable of arranging that ourselves," Pyrrha added. "After all, we're not always going to have you here to fend off the attentions of others now, are we?"

"I… I suppose not," the normally bubbly girl admitted sadly. "I just want to see you two together! You're perfect for each other, but just because Jaune is such an idiot it's taken you this long to go on a date. I just want to help."

"Head-butting me and pouring your punch all down my shirt is not helping, Nora," Jaune pointed out tartly. "I think Pyrrha and I were doing fine up to that point. Certainly, Professor Goodwitch had taken the time to come over and comment on what a wonderful couple we made."

"But you looked so fantastic dancing together! I didn't want to see you doing that with another girl," Nora protested.

"This is Ruby we're talking about. Kind, sweet, little Ruby, who by some small miracle can claim to actually be more socially inept than I am," Jaune replied. "Do you really think she was going to try and steal me from Pyrrha? She's our friend, Nora. Ruby would never do anything like that."

"I guess," Nora allowed.

"Really, we're fine, you don't have to worry," Pyrrha assured her friend. "Why don't you go back in and find Ren. We'll stay and try to tidy up Jaune a little."

"Okay. You're sure you're not mad at me?"

"No, Nora, we both love you to bits," Jaune promised her. "Now scram before I throw you off this balcony."

Nora giggled. "Okay, fearless leader. Ren's probably getting lonely without me, anyway."

With that, she turned and headed back into the ballroom, leaving Jaune and Pyrrha alone on the rooftop walkway.

"He's probably cringing with embarrassment," Jaune muttered as soon as Nora was out of earshot.

"Oh, Jaune," Pyrrha said sadly. "I know she was only trying to help, but I have to say this really wasn't how I imagined our first date would go."

"No, and to top it all I'll probably get pneumonia unless I change out of this damp shirt. Nora apparently likes a LOT of ice in her drink," he noted, pulling at the soaked item of clothing.

"Do you want to pop back to our room to change?"

"Umm, I'm not sure I actually have another shirt," he admitted. "The rest are in the laundry."

"Oh, I see," Pyrrha said, sounding despondent. "Do you want to call it an evening, then?"

Jaune looked at his date and felt his heart sink. He'd known how much Pyrrha had been looking forward to the dance… hell, he'd been excited about it, himself, and to have their night end so abruptly just seemed wrong. Still, he wasn't joking about catching pneumonia. His shirt was soaked, not to mention stained an interesting shade of reddish-brown.

"No, Pyrrha, it's too early to call it a night," he told her emphatically. "Still, I need to do something about this shirt…"

Purposefully, Jaune removed his jacket and hung it over the nearby railing, before unknotting his bowtie. His waistcoat came next before he unbuttoned his sopping shirt and pulled it off. Balling it up, he tried to use the dry parts of it to rub himself down.

"Umm, Jaune…" Pyrrha mumbled nervously. "What are you doing?"

"Well, my shirt is obviously ruined, and I don't have a replacement, but I figure I can get away with just wearing my waistcoat and jacket. It's not very elegant, but at least it means we can hit the dance floor again, right?"

Pyrrha gawped at him for a second, before bursting out laughing.

"Are you sure you'll be warm enough? After all, I have a spare dress I could lend you instead?" she suggested cheekily.

"Humph! You just want to see my legs, don't you?" he challenged.

"I don't know, I'm seeing quite a lot of you already," she retorted, before taking a deliberate step towards him until they were nearly touching.

"Umm, Pyrrha, you do realise this is quite a public spot," he pointed out nervously. "I mean, we can't… err, that is to say…"

Wordlessly, Pyrrha took Jaune's bunched-up shirt from his hands and gently finished wiping his chest and upper arms. Jaune could only watch her, his eyes wide open and his body rigidly still. The last female to have dried him off like this would have been his mother when he was about four. Pyrrha, however, was most definitely not his mother.

Having cleaned him up to her satisfaction, Pyrrha casually threw the shirt over her shoulder. Well, it was probably ruined already, Jaune thought, and, besides, there was something about the commanding why his partner had just taken control of events that left him feeling strangely aroused.

To Jaune's part relief and disappointment, the next thing the tall redhead did was reach for his discarded bowtie, before carefully tying it around his naked neck. She admired her work for a second, before reaching over and gently planting a kiss on his cheek.

"What was that for?" Jaune gasped.

"For not wanting this evening to end early, despite all that's happened," Pyrrha explained. "After all, some boys, who shall remain nameless, would have instantly stomped out if they felt that they didn't look 'cool' anymore, or that they were a bit embarrassed. You, however, seem determined to see out the night, even without a shirt."

"Ah well, you know me. I have a high tolerance to embarrassment," he replied with a shrug. "You do realise that I currently look like a male stripper, don't you?"

Pyrrha burst out laughing. "Well, you did start getting your clothes off for me, didn't you?" she managed to splutter between giggles. "Should I tuck a few Lien into the waistband of your pants?"

"Well, it's good to know I have an alternative career if being a Huntsman doesn't work out," he sighed. "Say, how about I put a few more clothes on and we head back to the dance? It's time we dazzled the other guests again with our boogie skills."

"I'd hardly call what we were doing 'boogieing'," Pyrrha noted, reaching for his waistcoat, "but I would definitely like to dance with you again."

"Then let's go," Jaune said, sliding on the waistcoat and pulling his jacket on over it. Actually, he thought, unless you were looking closely you'd never even notice he wasn't wearing a shirt anymore. Idly, he wondered how many of his friends would even realise as he and Pyrrha headed back into the ballroom.

"Jaune, what happened to your shirt?" Ruby screeched, almost as soon as he walked into the room. So much for that idea, he thought.

"I'm afraid it didn't survive the soaking Nora gave it," Jaune explained, noting that half the room had heard the little reaper's voice.

"Oh, no! Jaune, I'm soooooo, soooooo sorry," Nora wailed, running over to him with a look of distress on her face.

"Hey, don't worry about it," he said, dismissively. "No harm done, eh? It was only a shirt."

"Which you now seem to have abandoned," Yang noted as his friends all crowded round. "I'm guessing Miss Nikos here helped you out of it, too! No fair, Pyrrha, the rest of us girls might have liked to lend a hand, you know."

"It was more of a one-woman job," Pyrrha replied, a note of smugness in her voice.

"Never mind that," Jaune insisted quickly, trying to avoid any further embarrassing conversation. "It's time to hit the dance floor again. Are they still playing formal music?"

"Actually, it must be about time to switch over to my dance mix tape," Yang noted, glancing at her watch. "It's time to get this party rockin'. Trust me, this dance-floor diva knows how to pick a few kicking tunes."

"Bring it on," Jaune told her with a wide grin.

A few moments later, the swirling string sections that had previously dominated the evening's music was replaced by the sound of a thumping drum machine. It was quickly joined by a bass line so low that the floor under their feet began to shake.

"This is more like it," Jaune yelled. "Come on, everyone! Let's party!"

The combined members of Team's RWBY and JNPR, along with selected guests from Team SNNN, started to work the dance floor like there was no tomorrow. As Jaune got down and funky, he caught Pyrrha's eye and winked at her. Her answering smile was full of such happiness that it made his heart sing.

* * *

"Come on, Rennie, bed time!" Nora declared cheerfully, half carrying the fatigued young man over her shoulder.

Jaune, who was walking just behind her with an equally tired Pyrrha wrapped around his arm, smiled at his teammate fondly. Despite Nora nearly ruining that evening for him and his brand-new girlfriend, he couldn't hold it against her. In fact, he found it endearing that she had been so adamant that he and Pyrrha should become a couple. Frankly, he still felt like he didn't deserve the wondrous redhead on his arm, but he wasn't going to argue anymore. His dad had already told him that he would personally beat any such ideas out of him if he started down that line of thought again.

"Well, that was how to do a party!" Yang declared from somewhere behind him. "It was an excellent job, even if I do say so myself."

"No, you did great," Blake assured her, having joined the little group as they returned to their dorm having bid good night to Sun. Weiss, Jaune noted, was apparently still saying her farewells to Neptune somewhere.

"Oh, thanks, Blake," Yang replied, "but I knew that already. I mean, we held a dance where my dear little sister actually got up and danced… such a thing has never been heard of before!"

"Yeah, yeah, so I danced. So what?" Ruby grumbled.

"Hey, I'm not complaining. It was fantastic to see you have some moves, Rubes. You really got down and shook your bootie. I'm proud of you."

"And it's such a cute little bootie, too," Jaune added, knowing how much it would embarrass the young girl. Sure enough, he heard Ruby spluttering behind him, and her teammates snickering at her indignation.

"Oh, don't let them get to you," Pyrrha told the small girl. "You looked perfectly at home on the dance floor."

"Yeah, but she had nothing on you and Jaune," Yang noted. "If I didn't know better, I would have said you two had been practicing."

"Nah, not even once," Jaune informed his fellow blonde. "No, I got stuck trying to teach Neptune how to dance. I swear, he must have been stepping on my toes deliberately. No one could mess up as often as he did."

"I'm sure you made a lovely couple dancing together," Blake said. "I would have paid money to see that. In fact, if you've got any pictures…"

"There are no pictures!" Jaune insisted. "I even made sure that Sun left his Scroll behind when he came with us. I wasn't taking any chances."

"You do know Sun has a separate camera," Blake informed him casually.

"What?" Jaune cried in horror. If Sun had taken any photos…

"Ah, there you all are," a voice interrupted them. They all stopped and saw Professor Goodwitch hurrying towards them.

"Hi, Professor," Jaune greeted her. "Is anything wrong?"

"Yes, there was an incident in Vale earlier. Someone broke into the CCTS Tower this evening and reports stated that the intruder was seen heading towards Beacon after being interrupted. Unfortunately, there were some fatalities amongst the Atlesian Army guards."

"Oh, no!" Ruby cried. "Why would anyone break into the CCTS Tower? Was there any damage done?"

"Not that we can tell, but there is a chance that whoever this person was they may have tried to sabotage the CCT system. Technicians are already investigating to see if any damage has been done," Goodwitch explained. "In the meantime, we're making sure that everyone is safe and accounted for. Are any of your team missing?"

"Only Weiss," Ruby confirmed. "She was just saying goodnight to her date."

"I've already run into Miss Schnee," Goodwitch assured her. "I found her in a rather compromising position with young Mister Vasilias. Needless to say, they will both be serving detention for their lewd behaviour in public."

"Really?" Yang exclaimed, looking like her birthday had come early.

"Yes, and I will be expecting higher standards of conduct from any other students who are engaged in romantic relationships. Do you understand Mister Arc and Miss Nikos?"

"Oh, perfectly," Jaune agreed quickly.

"The same goes for you two," Goodwitch added, pointing at Ren and Nora.

"Oh, we're not…" Nora began quickly.

"Do you understand me, Miss Valkyrie?" Goodwitch demanded, cutting the small girl off mid sentence.

"Umm, yes?" Nora agreed nervously.

"I can assure you, we will behave with decorum and restraint," Ren added, giving his teacher a small bow. Nora said nothing further but turned an interesting shade of pink that clashed horribly with her dress.

"Very good, now please head to your accommodation and remain there for the rest of the evening. Should there be any developments in the meantime, you will be notified via your Scrolls. Good evening, children."

With that, Goodwitch turned and hurried back down the corridor. As soon as she was gone, the two teams all began to talk at once.

"Why would anyone attack the CCTS Tower?" Blake demanded.

"Oh, who cares about that?" Yang said dismissively. "The important news here is that the ice queen was getting it on with the blue boy. Oh, this is great! I'm going to have so much fun with this!"

Jaune could only laugh. "How about we talk about this in the morning? I don't know about you lot, but I'm bushed."

By mutual agreement, the teams headed for their rooms. Soon, Jaune was tucked up in bed, his head still swimming from the brief good night kiss Pyrrha had given him. He could still faintly smell her perfume as he drifted off into a contented sleep.

* * *

With his back to a tree, Jaune began to flick through the messages on his Scroll. As she had threatened to, Nora had distributed the pictures of him and Pyrrha taken before the dance far and wide. Hiding away from his team, he was now taking five minutes to see what texts his family had left in response to the news that he now had a girlfriend.

Unsurprisingly, his father had just sent a gruff 'took you long enough', but at least his mother and sister Adele had been more pleased for him. Rose, however, seemed absolutely delighted at the news and had promised to try and visit him at Beacon the first chance she got. Of his three remaining sisters, Harmony had seemed happy with the news, Mae rather indifferent, and Violette had flatly refused to believe that Jaune could have scored with such a 'hot babe' as Pyrrha. Still, that was Violette to a tee.

"Hey, Jaune," a voice called out, "whatcha doing?"

He looked up to see the diminutive figure of Ruby smiling down at him.

"Hi, Rubes. Just checking out some texts from my folks. Nora was kind enough to share those pictures of me and Pyrrha with them all."

"Heh-heh, it was just as well those pictures were taken before Nora soaked you in punch. You might have had a hard time explaining where your shirt went otherwise," Ruby announced, chuckling.

"They would probably have thought I was doing it for a dare, or that I'd forgotten to iron it, or something," he replied. "Why don't you sit down? There's plenty of tree for two."

"Thanks," she chirped, before flumping down on the ground next to him.

"So, you and your team are heading out on that accompanied mission tomorrow, right?" he asked.

"Yeah, and I can't believe we managed to get a mission right in the area we want to search! I'm still not sure why Professor Ozpin allowed us to take a task that was previously only for second years or higher."

"Hmm, Ozpin seems to like to go out of his way to accommodate our two teams, doesn't he?" Jaune noted. "Almost like he's buttering us up, or something."

"Eh? Why would he do that?" Ruby asked in puzzlement.

"I think he likes to get gifted pupils under his sway. Just remember, Rubes, Ozpin is just the headmaster here. Don't feel like you have to go out of your way to agree to any unusual tasks or requests he makes of you."

"It almost sounds like you don't trust him," she said, almost accusingly.

"I guess I don't trust anyone who wields too much power or influence. We Arcs are a pretty independent bunch, and we don't exactly respect authority like we're meant to," he explained.

"Oh, you're one of those anarchist types, are you? I bet you listen to punk rock and never wash your hands after using the bathroom, you rebel!"

"I'll have you know I take personal hygiene very seriously, thank you very much," he huffed, "and I don't like punk, either. I'm more of a classic rock'n'roller, actually. Here, look at my favourite music list on my Scroll."

Ruby peered over at the screen. "Hmm, Night Granger, Twisted Blister, Motley Croon… wow, you like a lot of old bands, don't you?"

"I prefer to think of them as classic," he sniffed.

"Whatever, you old fogey. Want me to fetch your walking stick for later?"

"Brat! Don't tell me, you're still into teen boy-bands," Jaune taunted her.

"Gah! You have got to be kidding!" she protested, miming being sick. "Still, this rebellious streak in you does explain a few things, like why you don't really get along with Weiss. I mean, she's the prime example of money and influence, isn't she?"

"I get along okay with her," he objected, before taking a careful look around. "Hey, can you keep a secret?"

"Ooooh, a secret! You bet," she confirmed eagerly.

"When I first got to Beacon, I had a massive crush on Weiss," he admitted.

"What?" Ruby screeched. "You're kidding me! You always acted like she really bugged you, most of the time."

"Well, I guess she did bug me," he agreed. "I mean, she was always so high-handed and arrogant, it was a real turn-off. I know she's better now, but that attitude she had made me want to strangle her half the time. Still, it didn't mean that I didn't think she was beautiful, though. I still think that, actually. She's so graceful and elegant, and just plain drop-dead gorgeous."

"You better not let Pyrrha hear you say that," Ruby warned.

Jaune shrugged. "I was never going to do anything about it. Weiss always looked at me like I was dirt, and I do have a little self-respect, you know. I do wonder if I subconsciously resisted getting together with Pyrrha because of it, though. It's stupid really, Pyrrha's a thousand times better match for me, and just as beautiful as Weiss, but I just needed to get that stupid crush out of my system, I guess."

"Wow, this is prime blackmail material!" Ruby gloated.

Jaune responded by bopping her on the nose with his finger. "It's a secret, remember? You promised, and I know you're too honest to go back on it."

"I guess," she replied ruefully. "Shame really, just think of all the ice cream and cookies I could have got from you with that little titbit."

"It's just as well you use up a lot of energy, Ruby. With your diet, it's a wonder you're not as wide as you are tall."

"Humph, I'll have you know I'm fitter than anyone in our year! Care for a race to prove it?" she challenged.

"I'll pass," he said with a grin. "No point starting something I know I'm going to lose, right?"

"Coward," she grumbled.

He looked at her fondly, before a sobering thought hit him.

"Hey, Ruby, you will be careful during this mission tomorrow, won't you? I know that finding that White Fang base means a lot to your team, Blake especially, but don't take any stupid risks, 'kay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be careful," she agreed dismissively. "Besides, we'll have a trained Huntsman with us, won't we? We'll be safe enough."

"I'm serious, Ruby," he insisted. "I've just got this bad feeling that something's going to happen soon. All this stuff with the White Fang and that Torchwick guy… I just feel like a powder keg is just waiting to go off, and I don't want you anywhere near it when it does."

Ruby looked at him, her silver eyes wide with surprise.

"Jaune, I can look after myself, and so can Blake, Weiss, and Yang. We'll be alright."

"Promise me?"

"Yeah, I promise," Ruby agreed, smiling back at him. "Jeez, you really are turning into an old man! You big worry-wart."

Jaune accepted her teasing, but his apprehension remained. Something bad was going to happen, he could just feel it.

* * *

There was a chill wind sweeping the landing ground as Team JNPR all gathered to see off their sister team on their accompanied mission. Unfortunately, not all of Team RWBY were present.

"Where is she?" Ruby fumed. "She said she would only be gone a minute!"

"Yeah, but Weiss's timekeeping has gone to pot since she took up with Neptune," Yang pointed out smugly. "I get she's off getting all kissy-kissy with him, unless she figured she had time for a quick…"

"Yang! Do not complete that sentence!" Ruby screeched, before turning on another blonde who happened to be standing innocently nearby. "Sun, can't you control your team? This is making me look bad."

"Hey, sorry, Rubes," Sun apologised. "I mean, I'm getting sick of it too. I hardly ever hang out with Neptune anymore. Whatever happened to bros before hoes?"

"Are you calling Weiss a hoe?" Blake asked in a dangerous voice.

"What? Oh, no, I didn't mean it like that!" Sun protested. "It's just a saying, you know?"

"I think he just called our teammate a dirty slag," Yang decided. "I don't think we can let that stand, can we?"

"Eeep! Save me, Jaune. You know I didn't mean anything by it," Sun begged, trying to hide behind his fellow team leader's back.

"Oh, no. You're on your own, buddy," Jaune replied, throwing the boy (literally) to the sharks by grabbing his shirt collar and pushing him forward.

"TEAM RWBY! We are ready to embark, as we should have done two minutes ago!" Doctor Oobleck called out in an irritated tone.

"Oh, no! Where is Weiss?" Ruby cried in dismay.

"Here I am!"

They turned to see Weiss running towards them with Neptune close on her heels. They both looked flustered and out of breath.

"Where have you been?" Ruby screamed angrily.

"Yeah, and why are you both so red in the face?" Yang asked in evident delight.

"It's not what you think!" the Heiress insisted. "Neptune had just come to see me off when, suddenly, Professor Goodwitch appeared out of nowhere. After the last misunderstanding, we thought it best we hide from her, but we had no idea that the door to the service area only opened from one side! We spent ages having to climb up a wall and…"

"We're now THREE MINUTES behind schedule, girls!" Oobleck yelled.

"We have to go," Ruby announced. "We'll see you guys when we get back!"

"Have a good mission," Pyrrha called after them.

"Be safe!" Jaune yelled.

"Bring me back a souvenir!" Nora added.

They watched as the flustered girls of Team RWBY piled into the airship, which left the ground almost the moment they claimed on board. In fact, Weiss barely made it and had to be hauled aboard by Yang.

"Wow, they are really not organised for this trip, are they?" Ren noted.

"Did it seem like Ruby's backpack was moving of its own accord?" Pyrrha enquired in puzzlement.

"Hey, never mind that, what say that we all hit Vale together?" Sun asked. "When we go with Team RWBY, stuff always blows up and we always get attacked and shit. Let's hang out in peace for a change."

"Peace? Have you never met Nora?" Ren asked in surprise.

"Umm, sorry, guys, we'll have to bail on that," Jaune informed the group. "Pyrrha and I have a date and we don't need any extra company if you know what I mean."

"Gah, another bachelor lost to womanly wiles," Sun moaned. "Dude, this is just wrong."

"And if Blake agreed to go on a date with you, would you want us tagging along?" Pyrrha asked.

"That's different," Sun protested.

"Dude, how?" Neptune demanded.

"I'll tell you… as soon as I can come up with something plausible," Sun told his friend. "It shouldn't take more than a few days."

"We'll see you later," Jaune said, laughing at Sun. "Come on, Pyrrha."

"Of course," she agreed, taking his arm and heading to the airstrip with him.

Half-an-hour later, the two of them found themselves at Vale's main air station, having just been dropped off. Jaune was especially proud of the fact that he hadn't wanted to barf even once, although he would have had to confess he took a couple of air sickness pills before they left.

They exited the landing site and headed into town, both eager to spend a little quality alone-time together.

"So, what do you want to do?" Jaune enquired. "We could just head to the mall and maybe catch a movie later, or do you have anything you specifically want to do?"

"Well, no, but I would like to go for a bit of a walk first. I… I … have some things I want to talk to you about," Pyrrha replied, her nervousness evident in her voice.

"Really? What?" Jaune asked, suddenly alarmed. Had he done something wrong? Had she suddenly had second thoughts about their relationship?

"It's… nothing, really," she insisted. "I just want to ease my mind, I guess."

"About what?"

"About… us. Firstly, let me say, since we got together at the dance, I've been so happy. Before I came to Beacon, I never dreamed I would ever find myself such a handsome and considerate boyfriend. I had so many manipulative jerks propositioning me before, to find someone with such a good heart as you, it really has been like a dream come true!"

"But…" Jaune added, sensing it coming.

"But… why did you suddenly agree to us getting together? Oh, I know we got on well before, but I'd previously made my feelings pretty clear and you didn't seem that interested. Everyone seemed to expect us to end up as a couple and, heaven knows, Nora did her best to engineer it, but now I'm worried that you've just been pressured into a relationship with me."

"What? You're kidding! Me? Having to be pressured into a relationship with you? You're joking!" he scoffed. "If anything, Pyrrha, it was that I just didn't feel worthy of you. You seemed totally out of my class."

Pyrrha was silent for a moment before she stopped and looked him straight in the eye.

"Jaune, there might be an element of that to it, and if there is I think you're a fool, but I really don't believe that was all there was to it."

Jaune sighed. Looking around, he spotted a suitably located bench and he pulled Pyrrha towards it. Once they had both taken a seat, he turned to her and took her hands in his.

"Believe me, Pyrrha, I did believe for a long while that I wasn't worthy to be your boyfriend. I think sometimes you don't realise just how awesome you actually are. Not everyone who praises you is buttering you up, you know," he told her. "But you're right, there is more to it than that. Part of it, I think, was what happened to my two younger sisters. I loved those girls, Pyrrha. When I was small, Jade and Gabrielle were my whole world, you know? Losing them like that just killed something inside me, and I think for the longest time I was afraid of giving my heart to anyone else, just in case I lost them, too. We are Hunters and Huntresses, and we will face danger every day of our lives. To let you in… to let myself fall for you… if I lost you after doing that, I think it would just kill me."

"So, what changed?" she asked. "Why did you change your mind?"

"My family, I guess," Jaune admitted. "After we all took that trip to see my folks, things kinda changed for me. I mean, I know I had both Adele and Rose telling me I was nuts to not get with you as soon as possible, but it was my parents who really changed my mind. Not so much the talk they gave me, because, trust me, they both told me how dumb I was being, but just being reminded of what they were like together. Mom and Dad really make an awesome team. Even after all this time, and maybe I suddenly started to think what things would be like for me if I found someone to share a relationship like that. The more I thought about it, the more I began to think that person might be you."

"Oh, Jaune, I…"

"Please, let me finish. There was one final reason I haven't told you yet, and it's something I didn't even really consciously realise until the other day when I was talking to Ruby. I didn't admit it to anyone, but there was another girl I was sort of hung up about, even though I knew she was totally wrong for me. It's only recently that I got it all out of my system, and realised I was probably yearning after her because she was such a poor match. It was… I dunno… sort of like a safety mechanism, I guess. I deliberately set my sights on a girl I knew I'd never stand a chance with, just so I didn't end up in a relationship and get my heart broken. Does that even make sense?"

"No, I think I get it," Pyrrha agreed. "You were still afraid to commit yourself to anyone truly, so you start fixating on a girl that you could never truly love. It really does make sense, even if I think it was rather foolish. No one wants to end up alone, Jaune, but that's exactly what that sort of thinking would end up in."

"I know. I'm not even sure I was conscious that I was doing it, actually. I mean, I never made a play for this girl or anything…"

"Yang would have eaten you alive, anyway," Pyrrha said with a smile.

"Oh, it wasn't Yang," Jaune answer automatically.

"It wasn't?" Pyrrha exclaimed in surprise. "I would have put money on… okay, if it wasn't her, who was it? Not Ruby, surely!"

"No, not Ruby, although I think she'll be a little heartbreaker in a few years. No, it was Weiss."

"Weiss! But… you never liked Weiss! You were always saying how stuck-up and arrogant she was," Pyrrha pointed out. "Come to think of it, she barely ever had a good word for you, either."

"Hey, I did say I picked a girl I never had a chance with, didn't I?" he pointed out meekly. "No, I know we never really got on, and we still aren't exactly best-buds, but you have to admit she's beautiful, and she has a certain sense of grace and elegance that I've just never encountered before. It was just her personality that just made me cringe. Well, over time, I've gotten used to her ways and I can safely say without fear of contradiction… she still bugs the hell out of me."

"Oh, Jaune. So, now I have to worry about Weiss stealing you away from me now, as well as Yang," Pyrrha declared tragically, although Jaune could see the amusement in her eyes. Still, instinctively, he knew this wasn't the moment to make a joke. There were times when you had to step up and be a man about things, and this was one of them. Slowly, making sure he telegraphed his actions, he leaned over and softly kissed her.

Pyrrha made no effort to stop him and even tilted her head slightly in acquiescence. The kiss was soft and lingering, their lips lazily caressing the other's. When they were done, Pyrrha looked at him with her magnificent green eyes wide with emotion.

"I would never have entered into this relationship if I wasn't one hundred per cent committed," Jaune promised. "I know I was a little scared at the start, and I still can't believe you picked a goofball like me, but I'm yours, for as long as you want me."

"Be careful saying things like that," Pyrrha warned him. "I might just end up wanting you forever."

"Not a problem."

Their lips met again and they sat there, oblivious to the passer-by sniggering at the two teenagers so blatantly making out in public.


	9. Chapter 9 – Breach

**Chapter 9 – Breach **

"We're going to be deputies!" Nora shouted cheerfully.

Jaune followed closely behind the over-excited girl as they made their way out to the airstrip. In the distance, he could hear the air ship warming up, its engines humming audibly. Despite the enthusiasm Nora was (predictably) showing, he couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that something bad was going to happen.

"Cheer up, my friend. I'm sure this mission will be educational and rewarding," Ren assured him, having obviously noted Jaune's glum demeanour.

"Yeah, I'm sure it will."

"Jaune, you're not still worried about that call from Ruby last night, are you?" Pyrrha asked.

"A little, I mean, it's not like her to suddenly call in the middle of the night like that, especially when she's on a mission," he pointed out. "Besides, I just have this weird feeling this morning."

"Probably that oatmeal you had for breakfast," Nora suggested.

"No, I…"

Jaune suddenly stopped dead. They had just reached the airship landing pad and from that vantage point, they could clearly see the city of Vale. What alarmed him was the columns of dirty, black smoke rising lazily into the air.

"What the…" he began but was cut off by the sound of an ear-splitting siren.

His other three teammates all looked at him in shock and confusion.

"Damn, sometimes I hate to be right," Jaune muttered darkly. "Okay, guys, we're changing our mission. Get on the airship and we're going to Vale."

No-one argued.

* * *

The flight into the city took only minutes, but Jaune made the pilot circle the affected areas trying to see what the problem was. It didn't take long for them to see huge numbers of Grimm pouring into Vale from what looked like a massive hole in the ground. As they swept low over the breach, Ren's keen eyes spotted something.

"Look, there! Isn't that Team RWBY?" he yelled over the noise of the engines.

"Damn, and they're in trouble," Nora added.

"Hey, pilot! Yeah, you knucklehead! Circle back around and take us to that plaza back there. This is where we're getting off," Jaune bellowed at the crewman. In turn, the helmeted man just nodded and banked the ship. At least he had the common sense to slow down as they approached the open space.

"Okay, this is it," Jaune yelled to his teammates. "Let's get down there and start working our way over to the girls. Remember to work in pairs, and watch your partner's back. Those Grimm are everywhere and who knows where they'll pop up from. Ready?"

"Hell yeah!" Nora yelled.

"Let's do it," Pyrrha agreed.

"Okay, go!"

The four of them leaped from the moving airship and dropped the fifty feet or so to the ground. They all perfectly used their Auras to control their landing and were ready for action within seconds of their feet touching the ground. Overhead, Jaune heard the pilot applying power to the airship's engines as it sped away.

Without a word, Pyrrha came and took up position by his side, Akoúo̱ strapped to her arm, and Miló ready in its spear form. Glancing to his left, Jaune saw Ren and Nora standing side by side, their own weapons at the ready. Knowing today wasn't a day to hold back, he initially unsheathed Crocea Mors, only to slide it back into its sheath almost immediately. Instantly, it mecha-shifted into its two-handed form.

Silently, the group began to move forward as one. Their movement immediately caught the eye of a group of Beowolves who began to run towards them. By this point, this level of monster was only a threat to Team JNPR if they managed to surround and overwhelm them, but in this situation, the creatures of Grimm never had a chance. Nora was first to make contact, mighty Magnhild smashing the beast to pieces. Pyrrha was next, performing a tight spin to give herself momentum, before thrusting her spear through another animal's head.

Two Beowolves lunged at Jaune, who barely broke step. A wide swing of his blade cut down one, but he was careful not to overpower his move, allowing him to reverse himself instantly, and cut the second beast's throat. The pack of Beowolves disintegrated like just so much dust in the wind.

"Hey, guys, glad you could make it!" Yang cheerfully called out from across the plaza, offering a brief wave before she was forced to turn her attention back to an attacking Boarbatusk.

"Okay, let's link up with Team RWBY and go from there," Jaune ordered his teammates, breaking out into a jog. The others followed, striking out at any Grimm that happened to be in the way.

"Jaune, Death Stalker, two o'clock!" Pyrrha called out.

The four of them turned to meet the new threat. There was no fear, only a grim determination to get the job done. By now, they were well versed at fighting such a formidable beast, and they took this one down in record time. Pyrrha's shield first severing the monster's stinger, before Jaune and Nora destroyed the pincers. Disarmed, the Death Stalker was then easy to kill.

No sooner than the beast had crumbled into dust than a sound made Jaune look up. Overhead, multiple airships had appeared, some spewing Atlasian mechanized soldiers, while others contained more teams from Beacon. He saw Team CFVY land nearby, and Velvet gave them a quick wave before she charged into battle. The Grimm were still emerging from the massive rupture in the ground ahead of them, however, and there was still work to be done.

Gritting his teeth, Jaune charged into the thick of the fighting, his sword at the ready…

* * *

An hour later, Jaune found himself wandering amongst the rubble of what once was one of Vale's neat and bustling streets. The damage was extensive, but fortunately, the rapid arrival of teams from Beacon, not to mention the Atlas military, had confined the fighting to about four blocks. Here, however, casualties amongst the civilians had been heavy.

He knew Pyrrha was walking just a few feet behind him, but Jaune was unable to tear his eyes away from the devastation. After the initial breach had allowed the Grimm into the city, the monsters had been able to wreak terror on the inhabitants of the crowded streets. Until the Huntsmen had arrived, and in particular Professor Goodwitch who had managed to seal up the gaping hole in the ground, it had been a slaughter. The poor, defenseless people of Vale had tried to run but had been cut down as they did so. It all too clearly reminded him of another day, over seven years previous, when three children had tried to run from the Grimm, too. Subconsciously, Jaune ran a hand over the front plate of his armour, right over the spot where his scar began.

"Jaune, we should head back," Pyrrha called out softly.

"In a minute."

He didn't trust himself to say anything further. Already, they had come across dozens of bodies, most torn apart so badly as to be almost unrecognizable as humans. Here, the Grimm had been able to do exactly what they had been created to do – kill.

Why was he torturing himself, walking amongst the dead like this? He knew it was upsetting Pyrrha, but Jaune couldn't help it. He had to see what happened here, to know the suffering that had been caused. Once he processed that, he could wrap it up and store it, his hatred stockpiled and ready to be used in future battles as fuel for his fury.

"Oh, gods. Oh, no," he heard Pyrrha whimper.

Turning, he saw exactly what she was looking at. Lying amongst the shattered glass of a storefront was the tiny body of a child. The girl had probably only been three or four and had been dressed in what once would have been a lovely light blue dress. That dress was now stained with blood, and Jaune suspected that the only thing that prevented his sanity from being ripped from him was that the child's hair was black, not blonde. Even so, he could still imagine the body of his little sister, Gabrielle, lying there in this girl's place.

A whimper escaped his throat and he spun away from the gruesome sight. His fingers gripped his hair as if he was trying to pull it from his head, and his breathing became raspy and labored. How did this happen? How were the Grimm able to get into the city? What caused that massive hole in the ground to appear? When he found out who was responsible for this, he would tear them limb from limb! He would cut them to pieces. He would…

A hand tentatively touched his should, causing him to jerk and spin around. He was presented with the sight of Pyrrha, standing with her hand outstretched, and tears flowing down her cheeks.

"Oh, shit, I'm sorry, Pyrrha," he began, pulling her into a fierce embrace. "I should never have inflicted this on you. We should have just headed back like you said."

"No, I needed to see this," she whispered into his ear, her voice thick with emotion. "We… we never see this side of things, do we? We train as Huntsmen and fight and kill the Grimm, but we never really get to see what happens if we fail. At least, I never have. Oh, Jaune, this is terrible!"

"I know, sweetheart, I truly do," he agreed, holding her tightly. "This is why we have to keep training and getting stronger. This is why we have to keep moving forward, in the hope that one-day things will get better."

"I hope so," she sobbed.

By that point, the rescue services had begun to appear, sifting through the rubble looking for survivors, but more often than not just collecting the bodies of the dead. As Jaune began to lead his crying girlfriend away, he grimly thought that it wasn't a job he would have ever wanted.

* * *

"Where did you guys go? Are you alright?"

Predictably, Nora started to interrogate the pair of them as soon as they entered the room. No doubt Jaune's grim expression and Pyrrha's tear-streaked face had greatly alarmed the ginger hammer-wielder.

"We stayed behind to see what damage there was to Vale," Jaune reported as Pyrrha slumped forward and sat down heavily on her bed.

"Was it bad?" Ren asked in a tight voice.

"Pretty bad. I don't know how many civilians died, but the authorities had laid out the bodies of quite a few when we left. I must have seen a good twenty body bags or more."

"There was a child," Pyrrha mumbled, still in shock. "She was so small… so tiny… and those monsters… those DAMN MONSTERS"

Nora was at her side in a flash. The small girl wrapped her arms around Pyrrha and pulled her head down so it was resting on her shoulder. Gently, Nora began to stroke Pyrrha's hair and whisper assurances that everything would be alright.

Jaune glanced over at Ren, who was watching his partner trying to comfort Pyrrha. While Ren's face was expressionless as always, his fists were clenched and Jaune was certain that the boy's cheeks were starting to flush with anger. Neither Ren nor Nora had been very forthcoming about their pasts, but just one look at the dark-haired young man was enough to convince Jaune that this was something familiar to him.

"You've encountered something like this before, haven't you?" Jaune asked, for some reason having a desperate need to know. Ren turned and looked at him, his magenta eyes blazing with a barely suppressed fury.

"Indeed," Ren confirmed in a surprisingly composed voice. "Both Nora and I have. I originally came from a town called Shion over on Anima. It was a beautiful, peaceful place, until one day the Grimm came. Our defenses were overwhelmed, and Nora and I barely escaped with our lives. Can you imagine what it's like to watch the place you grew up in and everyone you ever cared about destroyed right before your eyes?"

For a moment, Jaune tried to imagine what it would be like to watch his hometown of Jiayuan suffer the same fate. Black images swam before his eyes for a few seconds, before he banished them in a panic.

"No, no I can't," Jaune told his friend.

"Yet you know what it's like to lose family, though, don't you?" Ren pointed out. "I think you know full well what it's like to suffer in that manner."

"Not on the scale you have suffered," Jaune disagreed.

"It's not a competition," Ren replied, before turning his attention back to Nora and Pyrrha.

Jaune struggled to think of something, anything, to say, but he was saved from doing so by a knock on the door. He opened to find Team RWBY standing there. Unthinkingly, he stood back to let them enter, not noticing their joyous expressions.

"I thought I heard you guys come back in. Well, that was a good day's work," Yang announced as soon as she had entered the room. "The White Fang got its ass kicked, a ton of Grimm got wiped out, and Roman Torchwick is behind bars. Go us!"

"What?" Jaune looked at Yang in disbelief.

"I said, we kicked ass out there," Yang continued, completely failing to notice the shocked looks on the faces of Team JNPR.

"What are those looks for?" Weiss demanded, obviously being more observant than her teammate, "and why is Pyrrha looking so upset? You haven't done something to upset her have you, you dunce?"

"I cannot believe you," he murmured, shaking his head.

"Umm, what's wrong, Jaune?" Ruby asked nervously.

"What's wrong? WHAT'S WRONG? How can you even freakin' ask that? How can you all be so dense?" he bellowed.

"What… are you talking about?" Yang demanded, looking a little shocked at the outburst.

"You, Yang, I'm talking about you and your stupid attitude! 'Yay, go us!' What are you, a moron?" he yelled angrily.

"Jaune!" Ruby protested, looking distressed.

"Did you know why Pyrrha and I were so late back? Did you think to ask? No? Well, let me tell you. We stayed behind because we wanted to find out how bad the damage to Vale was and how many casualties there were. Did you four think to ask that?"

"Casualties?" Ruby repeated.

"Yes, casualties. What, hundreds of Grimm are suddenly let loose in downtown Vale at one of the busiest times of the day and you don't think a few people will be hurt?"

"But… but we stopped them!" Yang argued. "We defended that breach until the other teams arrived."

"By which time hundreds of Grimm were already in the city," Pyrrha pointed out bitterly. "Did you really think you stopped them all?"

"How bad?" Blake asked quietly.

"I don't know," Jaune snapped. "They were still finding bodies when we left, but the police reckoned there were at least thirty-two dead, including several children. That figure is almost certain to rise as they'd only just begun to search for bodies."

"But… but…" Ruby stuttered, her silver eyes wide with horror. "We stopped Torchwick! We stopped most of the White Fang getting into the city."

"You obviously didn't stop the Grimm, though, did you?" Ren asked bitterly. "They still got in through that hole."

"We risked our lives down there…" Weiss began angrily.

"So what?" Jaune yelled. "Guess what, princess, that's what you're here for! That's our job, to stop the Grimm, and we failed! People are dead, and I don't appreciate you four ditty-bopping in here, eager to slap yourselves on the back."

"We found a child," Pyrrha told them in a dead voice. "A sweet, beautiful young girl. She'd been ripped to pieces…"

"I…" Yang began but fell silent.

With a muffled sob, Ruby turned and ran out of the room. A second later, her sister ran after her, calling her name in distress.

"Well, I hope you're proud of yourselves," Weiss snapped. "Look how upset your made Ruby!"

"Good," Jaune growled, stepping forward until his nose almost touched Weiss's. "Maybe then she'll realize that this isn't a game. This isn't some fairytale where everyone gets a happy ending and she gets to be the hero. No, this is a war and we're fighting bloodthirsty beasts that would willingly kill every human on this planet. She might be able to defend herself, but not everyone out there is so lucky. Maybe she needs to grow up and realize that. Maybe you do, too, come to think of it!"

Weiss physically wilted under Jaune's harsh glare. Without another word, she turned and ran after her teammates.

"They didn't mean to be so thoughtless. They've just never experienced anything like this. They don't understand."

Everyone turned and stared at Blake, who was standing motionless, her back resting against the far wall. She looked at each of them sadly.

For a second, Jaune was tempted to tear into the Faunus girl for defending them, but the words died on his lips. With her White Fang heritage, Blake had no doubt experienced things like this before, whilst her teammates had unquestionably not.

"I… suppose so," he admitted grudgingly. "It's still no excuse. Did they honestly not think for a second that any civilians could have been hurt? Seriously?"

Blake shrugged. "They were buzzed that Torchwick had been captured. So was I, actually. Things had gotten pretty hairy at Mountain Glenn, and I guess we were all just relieved that we'd come through it all in one piece and that we'd blown a huge hole in the bad guys' plans. Trust me, Jaune, things could have been a lot worse if Torchwick had been allowed extra time to put everything in place. That hole the Grimm came charging in through would have been ten times bigger, and we'd have had several hundred White Fang members, and probably three times the number of Grimm to deal with than we did."

"Okay, I get that. The fact remains that a bunch of people died, and just strolling in here like they were on top the world was wrong," Jaune insisted.

"It was horrible, Blake. I saw more dead bodies today than I hope I will ever see for the rest of my life," Pyrrha added.

"I know. I just… I'll talk to them, okay? I think it's all starting to sink in, anyway, but hopefully, they'll realize that now that this isn't a game. I don't think they fully grasped that until this point, Ruby especially. Just, please, don't be too hard on them, Jaune. Everyone has to learn the hard way, 'kay?"

"Yeah, I'll try," Jaune replied curtly.

Blake just nodded once and slipped from the room. Suddenly feeling weary, Jaune turned to look at his teammates. Ren, stoic as ever, stood regarding him with his eyes saying more than his facial expression ever would. Nora still had her arms around Pyrrha protectively, but clearly looked distressed. Pyrrha, his beautiful warrior, was a mess. Her face was ravaged by tears and she looked more lost than he had ever seen her. Suddenly, it all felt too much, and Jaune knew he had to get out of the room.

"I'm just going to get some air and clear my head," he announced, before walking out of the room before anyone could say anything.

He wandered aimlessly for a while, barely paying attention to where he was walking. Unconsciously, however, his feet led him to the place he always went when he was feeling upset or uncertain, the statue of his supposed ancestor situated at the front of the school.

Gazing up at the grey figure, he briefly wondered what the man was supposed to have been doing at that exact moment. With his sword held aloft, his forbearer appeared to have just vanquished some unseen foe. Frankly, now he thought about it, Jaune couldn't help but think the pose was a little stupid and probably owed more to the imagination of the sculptor that reality.

"I guess that's the way of the world, isn't it?" he enquired of the image. "We tell these heroic stories and make everything sound noble, but at the end of the day it's never that clear-cut, is it? No victory comes without loss, no success comes without sacrifice. I suppose that the only way you can measure success, come to think of it, is not how many enemies you've killed, or how much land you've captured, it's simply how many of your side are still alive."

"Talking to yourself is the first sign of madness, Mister Arc."

Jaune spun around to find himself face to face with Professor Ozpin. He hadn't even heard the man approach.

"Oh, hello, sir," he greeted the headmaster. "You took me by surprise."

"So I note," Ozpin acknowledged. "No doubt after the events of today, you have a lot on your mind. You can be forgiven for letting your guard down, somewhat."

"Maybe," Jaune agreed. "Have they said how many died today?"

"Not precisely. The figure currently stands at fifty-three people and twice that number wounded, but they are still looking. The Grimm were able to break into a large number of homes, and searching them all is time-consuming. I pray that they find no further bodies."

"Me, too."

Ozpin sighed. "I have no doubt that with your personal history, this must have hit you very hard. Please take some small comfort in knowing that without the efforts of the students of Beacon, yourself included, things could have been a lot worse."

"It's a very small comfort," he spat back. "I just don't understand any of this. I mean, what was the point of it? Why was the White Fang working with professional human criminals, and how do the Grimm fit into all of this? There were plenty of Faunus amongst the civilians that those thugs unleashed the Grimm upon, didn't the Fang care about them? And what was their ultimate goal? What did they hope to achieve?"

"I'm not sure. Talking to Team RWBY, I gather Torchwick was forced to bring his plan forward, and that he'd not planned to breach the city for several days yet. That makes it very difficult to gauge what his true intentions were. Hopefully, under interrogation he will explain things, but I cannot say I am hopeful on that score."

"So, a bunch of people got killed, seemingly for no good reason," Jaune noted bitterly.

"Conflict rarely requires a good reason," Ozpin replied. "Any warped ideal will normally suffice."

Jaune said nothing and continued staring at the statue angrily.

"May I ask how your team is doing?" Ozpin asked eventually.

"Okay, I guess," Jaune told him. "Fortunately, Ren and Nora didn't really see anything too grizzly. Pyrrha's pretty cut up, though. It's weird, seeing her like that. She's normally the strong one… to see her breakdown like that just destroys me. I hate to see her hurting like that."

"Then may I enquire why you are standing here when you should obviously be elsewhere? Really, Mister Arc, you disappoint me."

"Sorry? What did you say?" Jaune demanded, turning to the headmaster in surprise.

"I ask what you were doing standing here, gazing at this statue, when one of your teammates quite obviously needs your support. I understand from Professor Goodwitch that you have recently become romantically linked with Miss Nikos, too. That makes your desertion of her doubly bad."

"Now wait a minute! I'm not deserting anyone. I… I just needed a few minutes to get my head together. You said it yourself, this all brings back some pretty bad memories for me. You're not exactly being very sympathetic, you know."

"No, indeed, I'm not, am I? There is a reason for that, however, Mister Arc. The simple reason is that you are a Team Leader. While others can stumble and trip in the face of hardship, that is a luxury you cannot afford. At times like these, your teammates will be looking at you for leadership and guidance. While you might be hurting inside, it is your duty to be a rock for them, to remain solid in the face of adversity. If you collapse, then so will they. Therefore, you must continue to stand strong when everything around you is falling apart, for their sakes as well as your own."

"That does exactly sound fair," Jaune retorted, aware that he sounded a little childish.

"It isn't, but it's the price you pay being a leader. I've heard people talk about the loneliness of command, and that is a concept I can fully understand. It is the leaders who must present a calm face to the world when tragedy strikes, Mister Arc, no matter how despairing they themselves might feel. They cannot show their true feelings, otherwise the people who are reliant on them for guidance will simply mirror those emotions and give up. You may be craving comfort yourself, but it is your job to instead offer it to others."

Jaune nodded. He knew Ozpin's words were true, but at that exact moment he wasn't sure he had the strength to act on them.

"Do you remember the story I told you about the King of Vale a while ago?" Ozpin asked. "How he led two armies and effectively conquered the world, only to vanish into obscurity once his task was finished? Imagine the suffering that man witnessed, and how many friends he lost along the way. It was only by his iron strength of will and sheer determination that he was able to keep his forces together and defeat the enemy. I always like to imagine that once he disappeared with his love at his side, that he was finally able to shed that terrible burden of command and live his life as he wanted to. Certainly, it was what he deserved."

"Yeah, it was," Jaune agreed, looking up at the statue again. Had his ancestor had to deal with similar burdens? If he could see Jaune standing there at that moment, would he think him weak? Perhaps he was, perhaps he wasn't cut out for leadership…

"I think your team needs you, Mister Arc," Ozpin insisted.

"You're… probably right," Jaune agreed. No matter what doubts he had about his own strength and ability, his team needed… no, deserved a strong leader. Well, it hadn't been his idea, but Jaune knew that he'd been given that job, and for the sake of his friends, he had to try and live up to that role. "I'll head back now."

"Remember, my door is always open," Ozpin informed him as he turned to leave. "Likewise, Professor Goodwitch will always be glad to offer her support. She actually seems quite fond of you, for some reason."

Jaune actually smiled at that.

"She's probably just glad that I don't act like my dad," he suggested. "Anyway, I'd better be off."

"Goodnight, Mister Arc," he heard the headmaster call after him, but by that point he had already broken into a run.

* * *

Jaune entered his room to find little had changed. Pyrrha was still sitting on her bed with Nora by her side, although the former looked like she had regained a little composure and that latter no longer felt the need to hold the upset girl.

Ren was sitting opposite them, on Jaune's bed. He began to stand up as Jaune entered, but was waved back down.

"I'm sorry about that, guys," Jaune told them, taking a seat on his bed next to Ren. "I got a little bit worked up and just needed to get my head straight."

"There's no need to apologize," Pyrrha insisted. "It's perfectly understandable that you would be so upset."

"No, it's not," he disagreed. "I'm supposed to be the team leader, and I just vanished. I should have been thinking about you guys first, not putting my own feelings first."

"Jaune, I…" Pyrrha began.

"You're here now, and that's all that matters," Nora interrupted. "Although why you're sitting all the way over there and not next to your girlfriend is a bit weird."

"You're right," he agreed, and scooted over to Pyrrha's bed, and quickly wrapped his arm around her. Gratefully, she leaned into him and rested her head against his.

"That's more like it!" Nora noted approvingly, moving over to sit next to Ren on Jaune's bed. "I guess today's been pretty rough on everyone."

"I agree," Ren said sadly. "I never want to see a sight like that again, although I fear it is inevitable."

"Well, that's why we're here, right? To stop that kind of stuff happening," Jaune replied, his voice firm. "This time, we didn't get there in time to save everyone, but as Blake said, a hell of a lot more people would have died without us. We just need to keep getting stronger, and fighting the Grimm even harder. Then, maybe one day, we can wipe those monsters off the face of Remnant."

"Yeah!" Nora shouted, her usual exuberance back. "We'll keep training, and we'll smash every Grimm we find. No one will stop us!"

"Talking of training, I've had an idea," Jaune revealed. "We've done a lot of practicing as individuals and in pairs, but not a lot as a team. With the Vytal Festival coming up, assuming it's still going to be run, we'll need to fight as a group. Starting tomorrow, I think we should all start working as a team."

"That's a commendable idea," Ren agreed. "I very much doubt the festival will be cancelled, it's simple too important. I suspect they'll just beef up security and carry on regardless."

"You're probably right," Pyrrha added. "I like the idea about team training, too. It's certainly not something I've done a lot of. Still, how are we going to do this? Surely if we're going to fight as a team, we'll need another team to act as opponents?"

"Leave that to me," Jaune told them.

* * *

Sometime later, the members of Team RWBY were roused from their stupors by a knock on their door. Weiss was closest, so went over to open it. She gasped angrily when she saw who was there.

"You!" she shouted at Jaune. "What do you want? Haven't you upset everyone enough for one evening? Why don't you… hey!"

Not feeling in the mood to have a stand–up slanging match in the corridor, Jaune simply pushed his way into the room, closing the door behind him. Scanning the room, he found the other three members of Team RWBY all lying on their beds, all looking at him with surprise and, in Ruby's case, a little fear. Ignoring an angrily ranting Weiss, he addressed the other girls.

"Hey, guys, me and the rest of my team have been talking…" he began.

"What about?" Weiss interrupted. "Maybe about how you owe us all a big apology?"

"I don't owe you squat, Schnee," he snarled at the white-haired girl, who actually looked a little startled by his reaction. Jaune turned his back on her and concentrated his attention on the rest of Team RWBY. "As I was saying, we've been talking about the upcoming Vytal Festival."

"The Festival?" Yang repeated in surprise. "What about it? Do you think it's going to be cancelled?"

"Nah, I doubt it. The Vytal Festival is too much of a big thing for them to just scrap it. No, we were thinking that despite everything, we haven't done too much training as actual teams, and we could use some practice fighting as a group. I was thinking that our two teams could work together and use each other for sparring. We could even mix up team members to provide a bit variety to the training."

"You… you want to train with us?" Ruby asked in a small voice.

"I think it's a great idea," Blake said quickly, obviously seeing the offer as the olive branch that it was. "Training in teams will be a big help for the festival."

"Yeah, I guess so," Yang agreed, although she seemed unusually reserved. No doubt Jaune's harsh words earlier had resonated with the usually exuberant girl.

"I suppose I can see the value in it," Weiss admitted, rather reluctantly. For a second she looked like she was going to say something further, but a glare from Blake silenced her.

"What about you, Ruby? Are you up for it?" Jaune asked.

"Yeah, definitely," Ruby confirmed, rolling off her bed and landing lightly on the floor. She came and stood before him with her big, silver eyes watering. "Look, Jaune, about earlier…"

"Forget about it," Jaune cut her off. "I get you guys were buzzed about Torchwick being captured, but now you know what the other side of it all is. That's why we're here – to become the best Huntsman and Huntresses we can be and to make sure there are no more bodies on the streets. That's our job."

"Funny, when we were out with Oobleck, he was asking us all why we wanted to become Huntresses," Yang told him. "I think I'd give him a different answer now than I did before."

"So would I," Weiss admitted.

"I think we've all learned something today," Jaune said, a little wistfully, thinking of Ozpin's words about leadership. "But that's in the past. All we can do is absorb the lessons we've learned, and keep moving forward."

"Keep moving forward," Ruby repeated. "That's a good way to live."

"I agree."

Jaune reached out and gave the small girl an encouraging squeeze on the arm, before turning to leave. Weiss automatically opened the door for him, looking far less hostile than before. In fact, just for a second, Jaune thought she might have even smiled at him.

As the door closed behind him, Jaune allowed himself a smile of his own. Tough times were coming, he knew, but as long as everyone pulled together, he was sure they would come through. Pondering that thought, he made his way over to his own room and opened the door.

He completely failed to notice a pair of amber eyes watching him malevolently from the shadows.

Author's Notes

This is the end of this particular story, as it represents the end of Season 2 of RWBY. I know it appears to end at an odd point, but the story will continue in the next part called 'Spiral' which I have already started. However, I do have a number of other stories that I will probably post first, including two different RWBY stories and possibly a Harry Potter one shot.

Thanks to Arnel for her beta work throughout (and she had a lot to do on this chapter, believe me) despite having a ton of other stuff going on. Thanks a million, Arnel!


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